Falling For You Too
by Moonlit-Kris
Summary: One month has passed after the Mews were nearly exposed. Life is getting back to normal... sort of. Sequel to Falling for You! Kish x Ichigo pairing! Chapter 10 and 11 Posted!
1. Normality Returns: Sort Of!

**I think I need to stop thinking about these stories for a while. It's day 4 of my holidays out of 13, and I have written/finished 6 stories on TMM! And here I am with a sequel to Falling For You! Well, there's a funny story on how I came up with most of the ideas in this story, but that's for another time ne?**

**Enjoy!**

**1. Normality Returns… sort of**

The sun shone through recently tugged pink curtains in a certain girl's room. The light was dazzling, but unfortunately for the girl, it was also a wake up call. She subconsciously tugged her blanket up towards her face to rid her eyes of the blinding light, but it was too late.

" Ne… I don't want to get up!" She mumbled sleepily. In normal circumstances, this wouldn't have affected anybody. Who would really be worried about a fifteen-year-olds mumbling as she awoke from slumber? Well, for Ichigo Momomiya, there was one person who did.

" Come on Koneko-Chan, I understand you're tired but you have got to get up sometime… come on." Standing over Ichigo's body was that of a sixteen-year-old alien boy with gold eyes and green hair, not to mention pointy elfin ears. He was stroking her cheek softly, knowing she liked to be awoken like this.

" Kish why do you have to be such a persistent alarm?" She mumbled grumpily, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Kish laughed at this comment.

" Because there's no way you can hit my snooze button or smash me to a million pieces like all your other alarms!" He giggled, stroking her ruby locks. She yawned and stretched out before standing out of bed.

" Well, good for me." Ichigo took out her phone and saw the time. " NINE O'CLOCK?" She yelled out, suddenly in a panic. " Oh god I'll be late! I only have an hour!" She grabbed out her clothes and was about to tug off her nightshirt, but then she noticed Kish was standing there, staring at her contently, watching the show. Well, wanting to anyway.

" Um… OUT!" Ichigo yelled, pushing him out the door into the hallway.

" Aw… that's no fun!" You could hear him whimper from outside her door. Ichigo locked it firmly and shut the curtains.

" Don't come in, you know better than that!"

It had been a month since Ichigo and Kish had been re-united. Within five days they had become a couple- it seemed two years of not seeing each other didn't hinder their affections for each other. Even if it had taken two years for Ichigo to see she really liked Kish, not Masaya. Her thoughts lingered back to this as she did her hair, and she cringed when Masaya's name came up.

' Mum was right when she said beware of the perfect ones, they're generally _too_ perfect and uptight. You need someone who can play around and be fun with you, but cares a lot too.' Ichigo smiled. Kish was exactly that. She was a little surprised that she hadn't realized when she was fighting him.

Well, she sort of knew _why_ she didn't realize she liked him so long ago, seeing he was the off-limits enemy.

She did, however, notice his cute elfin ears, his glistening golden eyes, hit soft green hair, his playful yet flirtatious way of going about things… and yet she had stopped any awakening feelings for him by reminding herself he was the enemy.

' Well it didn't stop _him_!' She thought firmly, finally finishing her hair.

" Ok Kish, it's safe for you to come in now!" She waited for that familiar ripple of air to indicate he had teleported into her room. And sure enough she felt it. And she also felt two strong arms snag her waist, pulling her closer to the owner of the muscular arms. Ichigo sighed.

" Good morning to you too Kish." She didn't even have to look over her shoulder to know Kish was behind her, smirking in the impish manner he always did. She knew all too well that he always did in the mornings. Ever since her parents had returned from their 'top secret' work trip, Kish had been her alarm clock, and Ichigo's parents were very impressed their daughter was becoming more mature and waking up on time. Well, they were _sort_ of right, right?

" Ohayo Koneko-Chan." He nuzzled Ichigo's cheek, which made her blush slightly. " Sleep well?"

" Hai… never better really!" She smiled and released herself from his deadly grasp. He whined but Ichigo knew that if he was _really_ upset, his ears would droop, his body would droop and his eyes would look dull. A.K.A, they would look nothing like they did now.

Kish stood tall, almost a head taller than Ichigo, almost always with an impish grin on his delicate face. At the moment however, he was floating around, his legs crossed and his hands behind his head. His eyes were sparkling with playfulness as he awaited Ichigo to return from the bathroom. The grin was evident on his face.

It had been like this every morning since… well it seemed like forever but in reality it had been little over a month.

Ichigo would always sleep in. Always. There was never any doubt that the red head would ignore any alarms she had set to awaken her. Kish felt proud, she never set _him_ and it was always he who woke her up. Kish had an unnatural ability to sleep for a mere hour and feel refreshed.

He blamed it on Ichigo. If he hadn't been trying to destroy her and still win her love at the same time, he wouldn't have spent many nights wondering on how to do so.

" Kish! Breakfast is ready if you want some!" A voice called from below. Kish decided to teleport behind her again. It was his favourite game. Stay silent, teleport behind Ichigo and grab her.

And he did just that.

Ichigo was expecting it however, and knew he would try something of the sort. She knew him too well. After all, she had lived with him for a few days on his ship, then again on earth, and he was currently staying with Ichigo, but on more sneaky terms.

Kish didn't like the thought of living with Pai and Tart anymore than necessary. Hell, he'd spent a whole years worth of missions with them, and to add onto it, he had lived with them for another two years before they were exiled. He thought of them as brothers, but brothers have to have a break! Especially when one was nearly 18, one was barely 13 and the other (being Kish) was 16. The age differences made it hard to live together and get along all the time.

Ichigo started to walk up the stairs to fetch him, but she knew better. Feeling the ripple of air behind her, Ichigo waited for Kish to do something. She was right, he would try something and this time he scooped her up bridal style, tickling her in the process.

" K-Kish! St-stop-p it!" She laughed, thanking anyone who would care that she wasn't holding anything at the time, because it would have shattered with the way she was flaying her arms and legs around. Kish calmly carried her to the dining table where he placed her on her seat.

" There you go!" He smirked, showing his fang. Ichigo huffed at him, pretending to be annoyed. She mumbled thanks and began eating her pre-made pancakes and her fresh strawberries. Kish grabbed a few as well and sat down beside her.

" Gee Ichigo it's nearly ten, you'll be late for work again!" Kish taunted as she stuffed her face with her breakfast.

" I-m-m no-m-m-won!" She tried to speak with her mouth full, but it was failing. Miserably too. She swallowed her food and repeated her statement.

" I know!"

" I suppose you want me to take you to work again today Koneko-Chan?" Kish asked playfully, knowing very well Ichigo was useless at getting to places on time.

" What would I do without you?" She smiled, finishing off her food. " I get off at one today, do you wanna go to the park or something afterwards? My parents are at work and knock off about seven tonight, so I'll be free until then."

" Sure." Kish smiled. " Got everything?"

" Yup!"

Ichigo felt the world disappear around her and reappear as Kish teleported them to the small forest by the Café Ichigo worked at- Café Mew Mew. Ichigo sighed. She didn't like work at all. She didn't mind her friends Pudding and Lettuce there, or Keiichirou, the main baker, but Ryou, the owner, _did_ annoy Ichigo. He was always making cruel jokes about her, blaming her for miniscule things, threatening to fire her or dock her pay and yelling at her when she was a minute late. Anything that would annoy Ichigo, Ryou made sure he did it.

" It's so weird working at the moment." Ichigo confessed to Kish, who knew what she was talking about. " People are _still_ talking about what happened over a month ago! We attracted a lot more customers, but it's so awkward! Luckily I haven't let my cat genes show yet!"

" Ah Koneko-Chan, I knew it'd be alright. After all, it was _I_ who came up with the plan to get everyone off your case, was it not?"

" Yeah yeh."

It was true, however, Kish did save Ichigo and the other Mew's skins by coming up with a plan to hide the Mew Mew's identities. While the reporters were outside screaming at Ichigo to come out, she made herself known and then Kish teleported her away where she transformed into Mew Ichigo and confused everyone out of their reports. He had also gone to the other Mews, who were also in trouble with various media representatives. Technically, he was the Mew hero.

And the villain in this ironic case was Aoyama Masaya, the traitor who spilled Ichigo's secret to his real mother, who spilt it to the whole of the café on day a month ago. He was visiting his adoptive family with his real family, but even so, he had no right what so ever to say anything of the like to _anyone_, no matter the circumstances. Apparently it just "slipped" when he was talking to them, and they decided as a family to expose them.

" Well I'll see you after work!"

" Alright then Koneko-Chan!" After quickly pecking her on the cheek, Kish waved and he was gone. Ichigo smiled and touched where he had pecked her.

' You're so cheeky Kish, you get at least one kiss out of me everyday!' She thought as she ran towards the café.

" Ichigo!" A voice called from the café as Ichigo swung the doors open. There were no customers yet, and Pudding and Lettuce were wiping down tables.

" Put a sock in it Ryou, I'm on time!"

" All I was going to say is you need to get dressed!"

" Oh shut up!"

Ichigo quickly dressed and saw Lettuce change the CLOSED sign to OPEN.

" Ohayo Lettuce!"

" Ohayo Ichigo-San! You're early again! I suppose having Kish as your personal alarm works well then?" Ichigo blushed slightly, she had told Lettuce and Lettuce only why she was on time.

" Hai… he sleeps on that tree outside my window now days, but sometimes I think he wakes up and goes to sleep on my floor. But either way he's always there on time to wake me up and he never lets me get back to sleep!" She grumbled, but she was grinning.

" I suppose its good that they returned then ne? I mean, you're happy with him still, Pudding and Tart are getting along…" She trailed off, thinking about what else to say. " And I suppose Ryou and Pai are getting along well too, they keep talking about experiments and the such."

" Yeh! It's been great! I haven't been this happy since… well since Aoyama." Ichigo admitted. " Pity he turned out to be a jerk. I suppose I thought _Kish_ was the jerk. Ironic ne?"

" Definitely." Lettuce agreed, and then she noticed customers approaching the café.

" Welcome to Café Mew Mew na no da!" Pudding bounced around, leading the customers to a seat.

" Thanks Mew Pudding!" A girl called, but her mother gave her the evil eye.

" Ignore my daughter miss, she is still mistaken about the incident a month ago. Please, I am very sorry!" Pudding just laughed.

" Forget it na no da!" She grinned and took out a notebook. " What can I get you?"

Ichigo was thankful when the last customers, a teenage couple on a date, left the café at one. She had stayed behind and gotten there early to clean/set up for the past week, so it was her turn to go home first.

" See you later guys!" She called as she walked out the door. Seeing the couple on their date made Ichigo more anxious to see Kish. Since he had returned to his normal form, Ichigo made sure they still went out, but not so much in the public eye.

" Well my pretty kitty's off the clock!" A mischievous voice above called. " Are you going to come with me this time Koneko-Chan, or do I have to catch you?" He smirked again, not being able to help himself.

" Ohm…" Ichigo thought mockingly, knowing exactly what was on his mind. It had started two weeks ago, after work like this. Kish had decided he sort of missed having to chase Ichigo to get her to go with him, so he pretended nothing had ever happened between them.

At first, Ichigo was genuinely scared, thinking he'd lost it completely. She had run, truly scared about being caught. She ran through the forest and into a small clearing, past Kish's new house and deeper into the woods. Kish had eventually caught up with her, laughing insanely. It was then Ichigo realized it was a joke.

Since then, they played this "game" at least once a week. It was a type of reminder of how far they had gone since the Mew time.

" I'd rather run then go with you Kish!" she called out before sprinting off. Kish beamed yet again, his fang showing. He floated closer to the ground and sped off after Ichigo.

' What a good way to keep fit.' She thought suddenly, noticing that she wasn't out of breath by the time she reached the forest, unlike most other times. She kept running, taking a new course.

" Come out, come out wherever you are Koneko-Chan!" Kish called, noting she was taking a new route.

" Oh go _away_." She called out sarcastically. This definitely brought back memories. Except now it was in the name of fun.

Eventually Kish caught up with her and tackled her to the ground.

" Get off!" She moaned, sarcasm still dripping on every word.

" How about no honey?" Kish straddled her hips with his knees and placed his hands on hers. He bent down and placed a short kiss on Ichigo's lips, who kissed him back playfully. She was grinning so much it hurt.

" My name's Kish… thanks for the kiss." He smirked and licked his lips. Below him, Ichigo burst out in laughter.

" Very funny Kish!" He laughed too, floating up so she could have some room to sit upright. She sighed happily and crossed her legs. " We made some good tips today, but people kept annoying Pudding about being a Mew. I swear, if I ever see that backstabbing two timing---" Ichigo was cut off by Kish, who had his finger on her mouth.

" Hey calm down there. He's gone. And everything's calmed down since that all happened, but it's bound to come up from time to time. Just stay cool." He smiled and sat down beside her.

" You're right. Thank a lot." She smiled and leant against him. He put his arm around her and sighed.

" So what do you want to do Koneko-Chan?" Ichigo shrugged. It was hard, not being able to go out in public with Kish. She had asked Ryou about maybe inventing a potion that would just change his ears, but to no avail. Ichigo looked up and was staring at his ears. She personally had nothing against them. They weren't normal, true, but she found them cute. When he was showing extreme emotion they would twitch up and down.

" It's quite rude to stare Koneko-Chan, I thought you told _me_ that though." Kish laughed, tugging Ichigo back to reality. " Not that I don't blame you. I'm just such a good sight to see."

" Wow. Just when I thought you couldn't get any more arrogant." Ichigo huffed. Kish failed to detect the sarcasm in this statement.

" Aw come on Koneko-Chan, I'm just joking around. You know that, right?" He lifted her chin up with his thumb and placed his forehead on hers. She blushed slightly, noticing how close he really was.

" I can't say you're the only one blameworthy of staring though, I find myself looking intently at you too. You're just too cute. And lucky for me, you're my pretty kitty, so I can stare all I want!" He giggled and Ichigo relaxed.

" True, true." She mumbled. He was still close to her, a small gap between their lips. She could feel his hot breath on her face, which made her blush even more.

Ever since they got over the shock of seeing each other again, which had happened about three days after the Mew incident, Kish and Ichigo had become a lot closer. He would always pick on her in a flirtatious way and Ichigo would take the bait. When Ichigo was with him on the ship, it was more romantic and serious as they tried to establish a relationship, but now, since they were definitely a couple, it wasn't.

" What're you thinking about Koneko-Chan?" Kish asked in a whisper, closing his eyes. Ichigo had already closed her eyes, enjoying the moment she had with him. She sighed slightly, her long eyelashes tickling his eyelids as she opened her eyes.

" Uh… nothing much really. It is Saturday after all, and work's over. What's there to think about?"

" The weather, the future, me…" Kish listed off, not breaking away from their close position.

" Ok, let's think of them all. It's hot today, and I see you in my future. Sound good enough?" Ichigo giggled and ran her fingers through Kish's hair.

" Good point. It is getting hotter ne? Closer to summer." Kish noted, finally caving in and kissing Ichigo. She smirked as they broke away- he had lost.

It may have been a silly game, but they just couldn't help themselves. Kish had figured out that he couldn't stay within two inches of Ichigo's face without kissing her for very long, and Ichigo figured out the same. So they did this, trying to see who'd cave in first. Ichigo had once, but only once.

" Let's go to the lake or something."

" I think I can do that." Kish smiled and picked Ichigo up along with him as he stood up.


	2. In Secret

Yay! Chapter Two! Sorry I didn't update for AGES, but school is back, therefore study takes over most of my computer usage. Damn. Anyway, I should admit I have only JUST sort of come up with an actual story line for this story… yeh I know, how pathetic. The first 2 chapters are just Ichigo and Kish fluff, but chapter three, the next one, will start to unravel the story ok?

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter Two: In Secret **

When Ichigo opened her eyes again, she was floating above the lake in another park. She smiled until she realized she was over the lake, the only thing holding her up was Kish's arm around her waist…

"Nya!" She cried, clinging to Kish's neck. He smirked and loosened his grip on her, which made Ichigo's grip tighter. He smirked and Ichigo looked up at him, now realizing his idea and plan.

" Pervert." She muttered, loosening her grip somewhat.

" Aw come on Koneko-Chan, I cant help it if I want you to hang on tight to me all the time!" Kish whined, floating towards the bank of the lake.

" Yeh, so? I can't help it either if your actions are perverted!" She stuck out her tongue and when they landed she took a step back.

" Koneko-Chan, how cruel. I'm your boyfriend, how can you say I'm perverted!" Kish blurted out, making the red head blush. They hadn't actually _said_ they were boyfriend and girlfriend before; it was just something that they knew between themselves. It was just one of those things that didn't need to be said.

" Either way Kish, you're still perverted. Not all guys need to have their girls that close to them all the time!" She retorted, turning her back and walking away. Well, she was _trying_ to walk away, except Kish grabbed her around the waist again. She sighed.

" Well, I'm not 'all guys' am I?" He whispered in her ears (the cat ones, which had appeared at the mention of the word "boyfriend"), causing her to smirk.

" Yeh I know that!" She giggled, before realizing that he was on the edge of the bank. So without a second thought, Ichigo leant back, almost jumping backwards into Kish, who, certain enough, went flying into the lake.

" Oi!" He cried, floating up above the lake, shaking his head like a dog. Ichigo laughed and floated on her back, enjoying the cooling water's effects on her nerves. So what she was still under suspicion of being a mew, and who cares that she had cat's ears and a cat's tail that popped out every time she got embarrassed or excited? At least she still had fun in the mean time!

" Oi! What was that for?" Kish asked as he floated above a daydreaming Ichigo. She smiled and stood up in the water, smiling up at him.

" What? It's hot, I wanted a swim, and you didn't let me go!" She grinned again.

" Well I didn't want to get wet! It wasn't my idea!" He whined, looking a little annoyed. But not very annoyed, just enough to make Ichigo giggle again.

" Too bad!" She muttered, before splashing some water up towards the dripping alien. He gasped and spluttered as he was wet again, but laughed when he saw Ichigo begin aiming for another attack.

" I'm going to get you, you know that Koneko-Chan?" He laughed, teleporting behind her and dragging her underwater.

" I don't have to breath you know!" He said (yes, said underwater), noticing Ichigo's confused face. She pointed to him, obviously trying to understand how he had just spoken. She tried to answer back, but realized too little too late she couldn't talk underwater. She inhaled some liquid and started chocking. She tried to swim to the top, but she felt too weak.

" Oi? You ok?" Kish asked, before mentally hitting himself over the head with a mallet. The only one to breath underwater from the Mews was Lettuce. Ichigo couldn't, and therefore was chocking. He quickly grabbed her and teleported to the bank beside the lake, where Ichigo coughed up the remaining water.

" Oh god I'm sorry!" He apologized, petting Ichigo on the back as she coughed up the remaining water from her system.

"I didn't realize, I mean, I didn't think that you'd--" Ichigo spluttering again cut him off, and he mumbled under his breath another apology.

" Hey… it's ok Kish. I mean, I pulled you in first!" She laughed, regaining her normal breathing and sitting up.

" I really didn't mean it!" Kish blurted out again, seriously upset that he had hurt his kitten.

" I know!" She snuggled up to him, basking in the warm sunlight. " I think we should just dry off ne? After all, we're both soaked!" She laughed again and lay down, followed soon by Kish.

" Sorry Ichigo." He muttered, closing his eyes. He stroked her hair, absent-mindedly drying it for her. She smiled and placed her hands behind her head, acting as a sort of pillow, and closing her eyes as she relaxed under his hands. True, she was a bit shocked at the fact she could have drowned, but it wasn't on purpose.

" So, Kish, what did you do while I worked today?" Ichigo asked with her eyes still closed. He stopped drying her hair and put his hands behind his head too.

" Ne, I floated around for a bit, watching all these people on the streets. It's hard isn't it? Not being able to go out properly, pity Shirogane wont help us there." He mumbled, knowing Ichigo understood where he was coming from with those comments.

" Yeah. But you know, we still have fun, so who needs Ryou?" Ichigo opened her eyes and watched the clouds above them slowly cross over the blue sky. Then she noticed something.

" Kish, I think it's going to rain. I thought so this morning but now I'm pretty sure…" She sniffed the air again, her cat instincts still working the same as ever. She was right, the clouds above them were dark, and as they kept flying across the sky, the darker they got. Kish nodded (well, tried, considering his position) and sat up.

" I always hated the rain. It always made me look for shelter when I was watching you!" He laughed. Ichigo sat up and punched him lightly in the arm, blushing furiously again.

" Hey, tell me something, do you still sit outside my window at night?" It had been bothering her for a while now. He, Pai and Tart had a home together (granted it was their spaceship disguised as a house in the woods), but Kish hadn't spent one night in it.

" Yah. Beats living with those two though." Sighing, Ichigo didn't have time to think before she said her next few words.

" Why don't you just sleep inside?" Suddenly her ears were up, her tail was out and her face was red. She had thought about it for a while- she had a beanbag and it would _have_ to be better than a tree out in the open.

" Well, well, well. My little Koneko-Chan can't seem to keep her paws of me! Aw!" Kish smiled and started scratching her ears. Ichigo flinched under his touch, before realizing what he was doing. She felt like purring, but soon realized that Kish had made a comment worth her retorting on.

" Oi, it's not _that_, it's just that I-I-I care and II don't want you to get sick or anything!"

" I'm glad you care. Maybe I'll take you up on that off---"

_Plop. Plop._

_Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop._

_Gush._

Ichigo cursed aloud, remembering she had sensed the rain earlier, and now they were caught in it.

" No need to swear Kitty, I'll get us out of here!" Kish grabbed her by the waist and the next thing Ichigo knew she was sitting on her bed, with Kish behind her, his arms still around her waist.

" Thanks. I hate the rain! Well, being caught in it. Watching it is fine and it makes everything much more green and lively!" Ichigo stood up, releasing herself from Kish's grasp and leant against the window. Yeh, watching the rain was nice.

" Well, it's…" Kish looked around and checked the time. " Two. We have five hours to burn!" He laid himself on Ichigo's bed, stretching out his long body. Ichigo could have sworn he had grown over the past month while he had been there with her. She guessed that all boys, alien or not, had later growth spurts than girls.

" True. Well, outside activities seem out of the question. What do you want to do?"

" Uh… sleep, I think." Kish grinned and closed his eyes. " I haven't slept on a comfy bed in ages!"

" Alright then… I'll go downstairs and do the dishes or something." Ichigo sighed. He deserved a good sleep, but it meant she was going to be alone for an hour or so. Then again, she _did_ have chores to do… maybe it wasn't a bad thing. At least her parents wouldn't yell at her for forgetting again.

---

Humming lightly, Ichigo checked the time. Two Forty-Four. She had washed the dishes, vacuumed the lounge and watched a show on TV. Amazingly she had no homework- Kish had helped her the night before finish all of the weekend's worth. Apparently he had already graduated from "school" on his planet- the military training covered it all. So he knew almost everything Ichigo was learning. She looked up again at the clock.

Two Forty-Five.

" Agh!" She moaned, looking up at the ceiling. She was willing to bet that two months ago she wouldn't ever, ever have free time like this. She would be doing her homework or still cleaning, or even at the café, making up for being late. Ryou was like that. Even poor Lettuce had stayed behind a few times helping Keiichirou clean up. Ever since Zakuro had returned to China, and Mint decided to give up her job again, they needed to stay back to make up for the lack of workers. Ryou decided to give up waiting on tables- he'd rather not have Ichigo laugh at him for making mistakes like he had laughed at her so many times.

Ichigo decided to go to her room and see if she needed to do anything like the laundry or pack up her books. She was silently wishing Kish was awake- they'd probably make a huge mess in a food fight or pillow fight like always, but at least it passed the time. And it wasn't that silent either. As Ichigo walked up the stairs, she could hear the rain pour onto their roof, which in a way was relaxing. She sniffed lightly and smelt the rain. It was something she could appreciate now that she was a Mew with the DNA of a cat. But she wouldn't say that to Ryou- he was under the impression she hated her cat powers still.

She opened the door slowly, avoiding the creak that her father never fixed. She had asked on several occasions over the past few years but he never had time. So anytime she went in or out of her room, her parents would know. Thank god for teleportation- except she had no reason to sneak out now, since Kish and the others weren't fighting them. But it was a real bugger when it was midnight and Ichigo didn't want to climb out the second story window.

She was disappointed with what she saw for three reasons.

**One:** Her room was clean, with not a clothing article in sight.

**Two:** Her desk was amazingly clear with her books neatly placed in her bookshelf.

**Three:** Kish was asleep soundly.

Ichigo sighed again. She could sit around and watch Kish (which she was doing at this very moment anyway), watch the rain fall, go back downstairs or wake up Kish. And seeing he had slept for nearly an hour, she decided the latter. After all, she was really, really bored.

" Kish…hey Kish…" Ichigo didn't want to wake him up by shaking him- she had learnt from experience that lead to a grumpy awakening. It wasn't just Kish either, Ichigo knew that she'd rather be awoken differently. She pulled her chair closer to her bed and played with his hair, which was strewn over her pink pillow. He was deep asleep, his breathing even and his expression neutral. Ichigo combed his hair with her fingers- he let it out when he slept. It was quite long now, but in no way girly. She traced over his ears too, as they had always fascinated her. She remembered how he had once had round ears, like normal humans, and how it took away some of his "Kish-ness".

Ichigo forgot why she was there in the first place- she was much more content with stroking his hair. She didn't notice that he had awoken, but he didn't want her to know. She pushed his bangs out of his eyes and stroked downwards, ending on the tip of his nose. Deciding that he wasn't getting up (or so she thought), Ichigo stood up and turned away, deciding to get something to eat.

That is, until she felt a hand over her own.

" Hey, Koneko-Chan, you're cruel. How come you stopped?" Ichigo turned around and saw Kish sitting up, smirking like he always did.

" You were a-awake?" Ichigo asked, stuttering slightly as a blush spread across her cheeks. Kish nodded and pulled her closer to him, and Ichigo walked towards him. She re-took her seat in the chair and Kish faced her, his legs hanging over the bed.

" Well yeah. I mean, wouldn't you wake up if I was messing up your hair too?" He asked slyly.

" Perhaps, but I would make it known I was awake!"

" Ah, but then you would have stopped! Anyway, what's wrong? You wouldn't wake me up for no reason, would you?" Ichigo blushed deeper, realizing she had no real reason for waking him up. Kish saw this and laughed. " Aw you just wanted me around."

" Well… yeah. Oh don't look at me like that! I'm bored! The rain makes me wanna go outside but I don't wanna get wet, and I have virtually no work to do at all!" Kish laughed again, placing his pointer-finger tip on her forehead.

" Yeah yeh, you just want me with you." He laughed and traced down Ichigo's side with the limb. He traced her arm and down to her hips, where he promptly poked her, causing her to laugh insanely and stand up. Quickly and swiftly, Kish stood up too and prodded her again.

" D-Don't t-t-tickle m-me! Aha, ha, ha!" Ichigo's breathing was heavy and labored, and in a last desperate attempt to get away she poked Kish in the side too. Suddenly he backed away, holding his sides with his arms protectively. Ichigo's face lit up and she suddenly had a new weapon up her sleeves.

" Oi! No fair! You weren't supposed to find out I was ticklish!" Kish said between giggles as Ichigo poked him in the sides. Apparently, he was as bas as she was! This made Ichigo very, _very _happy.

" Truce then?" Ichigo huffed, her breathing once again labored, as she was laughing too hard. Watching Kish cower in corners from her was quite a site for sore eyes!

" Yeh, that sounds great!"

" You know, you're lucky my parents work from 7 till 7 today, otherwise…"

" Yeh yeah you know I'd never get caught!"

" Don't be cocky!"

" Why not? It's fun!"

" Shut up."

" Ooh so now you're getting annoyed! Ooh Kitty's getting feisty!"

" Kish…" The bickering went on for a few more minutes, while the two were tackling each other on Ichigo's white and pink carpet. They were both laughing throughout it all, it seemed they would always bicker like this.

" I don't know how I control myself around you sometimes Koneko-Chan." Kish suddenly said, in the middle of their battle. He didn't let her go, but she stopped laughing to speak.

" Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

" I'm so scared that one day I'll hurt you! After all, I _am_ older and stronger!"

" Oh? Really? You may be _older_, but don't underestimate me when it comes to strength!" Ichigo flipped around again, resuming their play. But it seemed Kish was still thinking about something.

" Not only that, my precious kitty cat." Kish suddenly flipped Ichigo on her back, and he floated contently over her, only a few centimeters between their bodies. " I don't know how I resist you all the time. I mean here, right now, I could easily have my way with you, but…Ichigo suddenly went bright red and her ears and tail were out. She hadn't realized it, but Kish was right. He could easily do _anything_ to her, _anything at all_. She didn't like admitting it, but he _was _much stronger than she, and when they played around like they were before, anything could happen.

" I-I-" Ichigo started to speak, but didn't know what to say. Kish laughed suddenly, breaking the awkwardness of the situation.

" Don't worry Koneko-Chan, I wont ever do anything you don't want me to do. I wont push those boundaries until we're ready. After all, why push my luck when I can do this whenever I like?" Suddenly Ichigo felt him push his lips against hers and she felt all her fears melt away. She kissed him back, but as she did, she flipped him over again so she could stand up.

Kish followed suit, feeling a bit better he had gotten that off his chest. He felt nervous when he was mucking around then, and he just wanted her to know that nothing would happen.

" Hey, Kish, do you wanna go get something to eat in town? It's barely three, so we have ages!"

" Sure, why not? But, uh, Ichigo?"

" Yeah, what's up?"

" Uh…" He didn't know what to say, so instead, he twitched his ears, which made Ichigo blush. She had completely forgotten that not many people, if any, would accept an alien…

" Ah! Uh… hey, I know, you can wear a cap! Sorry if it's not comfortable, but I hate being cooped up in my house!"

" Ne, no worries Koneko-Chan! Lead the way!"

Yo! It's me again! Anyway, I needed to put in the last few paragraphs because some people kept messaging me asking if I was going to put lemon into this story, considering I was close to in the prequel. Sorry guys, but no. I don't really feel it would fit the story! Anyway, boring chapter, the third one's half way written but I want some reviews (good ones) before I update!

**If you're going to flame, please don't even bother reviewing! Unless its "con-crit", which is fine. **

**Also, I will make all the other characters have bigger roles in this story, and perhaps even more pairings. At the moment I'm happy with the following:**

**Lettuce x Ryou**

**Pai x Zakuro**

**Mint x Keiichirou**

**Tart x Pudding**

**Although… hmm… should Pai have Zakuro or Lettuce? Hey, tell me in a review ok?**

**Moonlit-Kris**

**(PS I don't think I'll have Masaya appear in this story! So there you go. He's back in wherever he comes from with his precious "Momoko" and fan club with his real parents. Read previous story if that made no sense!)**


	3. Not What We Planned

**Ok, here it is! The next chapter! It's a bit shorter than the others, but it's supposed to get the story _started_! Finally! Well, enjoy! **

Chapter Three: Not What We Planned

So Ichigo and Kish went on their date, had a lovely time and came home by seven.

Well, that's how they _wanted_ to describe the rest of their day. Unfortunately though, not everything goes according to plan, and some things just get in the way of a perfect afternoon. And today, that thing was Pai. It all began as follows:

" I'll go into my dad's room and see if I can find something for you ok?" Ichigo smirked; really excited they were going out. Finally. She was sick of being cooped up in her house and only going out in secret.

" Ne, Ichigo-Chan? Why cant I just wear one of your caps? I don't really mind…" Kish stated, eager to go. Ichigo had gone through her draws and everything, searching for a cap for him to hide his ears, but obviously wasn't impressed with her findings.

" If you wish!" And suddenly Ichigo pulled out a bright, florescent hot pink hat. She giggled at Kish's stunned face. Sure, it would be fine if _Ichigo_ wore it since it matched her hair perfectly. But _Kish_ wearing it would be a bit… different to say the least.

" G-Go grab your dad's hat for me please…" Kish sighed, defeated. Ichigo knew he'd say that. So why she was gone, Kish floated towards the window. The rain had slowed down to a stop now, and they were hoping that the town wasn't too wet. In the distance, a feint rainbow could be seen, but it appeared that a symbol that is supposed to bring luck and joy brought nothing more than the complete opposite.

" Kish." A deep voice stated plainly, appearing behind the green-haired figure. He jumped slightly- he hadn't sensed another presence in the room. Maybe because his mind was on other things…

" Pai? What're you doing here?" Kish asked casually, leaning against the window again, but facing Pai. (A/N. His back's to the window now.) The older alien sighed, his purple-gray eyes closing for a second, as if to deliver bad news.

" I think you have to cancel any plans you have for the afternoon… you're needed at home." He said slowly, noticing Ichigo in the doorway. She stepped into the room, a little wary that Pai was there. As in, the guy who never left his house or the café, the same guy who was always researching. That guy was now in Ichigo's room. That definitely meant bad news.

" Ah Pai, get Tart to tidy up my bedroom for me, it shouldn't be too hard!" Kish joked, walking over to Ichigo. She looked at him confused, and he just shook his head as if to tell her he didn't know what was going on either. In her left hand she had a black cap, but she didn't hand it over to Kish.

" It's nothing as straightforward as that sorry Kish. You're needed at _home_. _Now_." He emphasized the words 'home' and 'now', as if it was supposed to mean something else to the confused golden-eyed boy. And apparently, it did.

" You're joking me, right?" Kish stated, starting to get a little annoyed. Pai just shook his head.

" I suggest you put these back in and come with me." Pai handed Kish his hair bands off Ichigo's bedside table and Kish took them, sighing. " I'll see you back at home Kish." And then the purple-haired alien was gone.

" Kish? What's…" Ichigo murmured, noticing the gloomy mood left behind by the older alien. Kish sighed yet again.

" Koneko-Chan, I'm really sorry but Pai's right, we have to cancel lunch. It's…uh, well, a problem from _home_." He looked at Ichigo hopefully, praying she'd catch on. And she did.

" You mean?"

" Yeh." Kish groaned, defeated. He started to try put his hair back in the bands, as Pai had suggested, but kept failing, as he was too angry to keep his hands still.

' Now. It had to happen _now_. One month after everything had happened. You'd think that they would have done this a few weeks ago if it was important. But _no_, they had to do it now. Damn it!'

" Kish…Kish?" Ichigo was trying to snap him out of his enraged thoughts. And it took a bit, but she soon succeeded.

" Ne? Koneko-Chan?" Ichigo put down the hat and took the bands out of Kish's hands. She didn't want him to go, not in the least, but she knew he had to. So she decided to help him.

" Calm down Kish…I don't know why they'd contact you guys, but I'm sure you'll be ok, ok? Just stay cool." She parted his hair lovingly- she loved touching his hair. It was soft and silky. But she knew that something bad was going on, otherwise Kish wouldn't be acting like he was right now. Besides, his ears were drooping- and that was not a good sign at all.

" Thankyou Ichigo." Kish looked down at his feet. " But… I… don't think you should come by for a while. I just think it would be best…" These words pained him to say. Ichigo took a step back in shock. He was asking her…

To, basically, leave him alone. Weren't they just playing around, getting ready to go on a date? What happened?

" Ichigo?" Ichigo looked at the ground now, avoiding his gaze. She felt like crying. Sure, he hadn't said much, but it was heartbreaking either way. She really hadn't felt this upset since Masaya broke up with her because he was leaving…

Did that mean Kish was breaking up with her too?

---

" I don't understand… why are you asking me to go away?" Ichigo asked softly, surprised she wasn't stuttering. Usually situations like this left the cat-girl quivering.

" I would never." That was Kish's simple reply. Well, those irrational thoughts of breaking up were soon completely flushed from her system when Kish pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. She was still in shock though.

" Y-You said to n-not co-come by…" Ok. Now she was stuttering. Her cat ears popped out from the close contact with Kish. Sure, they had been rolling around before (innocently I might add), but she hadn't actually been this close to him for a while.

" I never want you to go away. I just think that if it's _home_ calling, then having a Mew around might not be what they want. I never meant I didn't want you to come by; I should have picked my words better. I'm so sorry Ichigo."

" But you're right. I don't want you to come by. I don't want you to get in the way…" He kissed her lightly on the forehead and without another word, he was gone.

" Kish…"

---

" I shouldn't have left so suddenly." Kish sighed as he appeared in his house. Pai nodded, he had been watching the whole thing, and to make sure that Kish actually came to talk. He knew the younger alien boy liked challenging his elders.

" The time for regrets is later Kish. Right now, it's time to talk with our planet."

" Ne, Pai? Why are we even talking to them? I thought exile meant no contact at all!"

" Why does it bother you Tart?"

" Oh-oh! It's just… nothing! L-let's go!"

" Ah you were with _Pudding_. I suppose I wasn't the only one to leave something special behind…" Kish stated, walking into the control room. And up on screen was someone he thought he'd never see again…

---

" So he just… left?" Ryou asked Ichigo, who was sitting in a chair in the café, sobbing slightly. She didn't know what to do with her after Kish left. Sure, she'd spent heaps of time without him, but he had just left so suddenly…

" Yeh…" Ichigo had a strong urge to go to his house. She wanted to comfort him. Something was definitely wrong.

" Ichigo-Oneesan?" Pudding piped up. " Tar-Tar also left quickly. Maybe it's really serious Na no da." Pudding didn't seem upset though. Perhaps he had said it differently. But this only calmed down Ichigo a little.

" I want to see him… I really want to see him. He's in trouble. I know. I don't know why I know but I know! But he said not to get in the way…"

" Ichigo." Zakuro stood up and walked over towards the redhead teen. " If you told us _exactly_ what Kish said to you, then you have nothing to worry about. It seems he doesn't want you involved in this. He's protecting you."

" Zakuro, I know that! Please tell me what to _do_ though! He didn't say he'd be back or _anything_! He _always_ does!" Ichigo started to sob again, but Zakuro placed a kind hand on her shoulder.

" See him. Wait a while, perhaps an hour, and go see him. He'll appreciate it. After all, he loves you right?"

" Hai…"

" Zakuro-Oneesama, stop being so nice to Ichigo! She's always over-dramatic with her boy problems! She just wants sympathy!" Mint said, obviously not interested.

" Mint-San, don't be so harsh." Lettuce piped up, carrying in some cakes and tea, prepared by Keiichirou. " We'll figure it out."

" I hope so."

" It may not be so simple though. If it's so grim that the aliens are disconnecting contact from us, then it's something **serious**. I think you girls may want to start training again, we could have another invasion on our hands." Ryou stated, taking some tea from the tray.

" I hope not Ryou-San." Lettuce said, also taking some tea.

" Even if we do, we'll be ready Na no da! And we have Tar-Tar and the others on our side too!"

" Thankyou guys… I'll pull myself together. I promise. "

---

" I don't want to screw this up." Ichigo said softly to herself as she walked down the street from the Café. She had left behind the others, who were wishing her luck. But Ichigo was unnaturally nervous. Something was definitely not right. She couldn't shake the feeling she was getting.

' He said… not to get in the way. Am I getting in the way by seeing him? What if he has to leave? No! I can't handle another guy I love leaving me! Not again!' Ichigo suddenly ran, the feeling to see Kish overwhelming her senses.

And because of her cat genes, it took a mere few minutes to get to the house, secluded in a clearing in the woods. Ichigo's heart was pounding heavily, her breathing labored. Everything was deadly still.

_Whoosh._

_Zip._

_Crack._

Or not.

These noises scared Ichigo, causing her ears and tail to pop out. They were coming from behind the house… it sounded like…

_A FIGHT._

" Kish?" Ichigo whispered, walking towards the house. She heard a scream.

" KISH!" Now Ichigo was running. That is, until she banged into something… or someone. As gracefully as she could possibly do, Ichigo landed flat on her butt. She whined in pain until she heard a voice.

" I suggest you don't go there for now." A small voice suggested, extending a hand. Ichigo looked up to see Tart, looking serious and sad.

" Tart!" Ichigo stood up and dusted herself off. " Please, what's wrong? Kish left so suddenly, like something horrible was happening!!"

" Uh… well, you see, _home_ called us."

" What do you mean? Where is Kish? Is he ok?"

" He's OK… I mean… that is… come inside Ichigo. This isn't going to be easy to explain."

Home? Home was calling? Oh boy. What can that mean? Why is Kish out the back? Who's fighting? Why is Ichigo so nervous about what's going on?

**SO REVIEW AND YOU'LL FIND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS I ASKED EARLIER!**

**Jane;**

**Moonlit-Kris**

**(MK)**

_**By the way, I was wondering, whom do you want paired with Pai? Yes, it's a Kisshu x Ichigo story, BUT I think it'll be good if I add other couples too- move the spotlight a round a little for later chapters. I like Zakuro x Pai, but if you want something else, like Lettuce x Pai, tell me! **_

_**Ichigo x Kisshu  
**__**Mint x Keiichirou  
**__**Lettuce x Ryou  
**__**Pudding x Tart  
**__**Zakuro x Pai**_

_**But please tell me! Nya! Review!**_

_**Kris**_


	4. Clearing The Fog

**I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I HAVE TO UPDATE!  
Nya I'm so sorry. But it's been sitting here, waiting to be put up and to be read… I can't help it! Sigh  
But I DO want more reviews… I feel as if not many people are reading…**

**Well, I'll talk more at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!**

**4. Clearing the Fog**

" You let her in?" An enraged voice called across the house. Ichigo cowered in fear- Pai was scary. Her ears and tail hadn't left her since she arrived at the house, and the worst part was she could still hear Kish fighting… whatever it was he was fighting.

" Yeh well she has a right to know!"

" So what her boyfriend is…"

" Pai! She's also a _Mew_."

" Exactly! That's why she shouldn't be here!"

" Oh you just want your girl here too!"

Pai shut up with that. Ichigo was suddenly curious. Who did Pai like? She decided not to ask. Yet.

" What is going on?" She asked instead. She heard another crack, and another frustrated yell. She noticed neither of the aliens answered her, so she started to walk towards the back door…

" Stay." Pai sighed, grabbing her shoulder. She shrugged him off, still walking towards the door.

" I said stay!" Pai ordered again, trying to reach for her. Ichigo spun around, very angry.

" What is going on? I hear him! I hear Kish fighting out there! Something's wrong, I can feel it! And yet you want me to stay? How can I stay when I know he's out there? What's going on?"

" Ichigo…" Tart started. " You really should sit down, let us explain. You see…"

---

" Our ex military officer called. He offered us a spot back on our planet." Pai stated calmly.

" He said that we could live back on our planet, since our King, well, Messiah, Deep Blue, is gone. It seems it didn't make too much of a difference- nothing has decreased. Nothing. So he offered us a place back home." Tart explained, trying to stay calm.

" Shouldn't that be a good thing though?"

" Well, yeh! It means we can go home! He made the call!" Tart started to sound excited, but covered it well.

" You… you're not joking are you?"

" No Ichigo. He called us. He really did!" And now all the excitement he kept didn't stay in for long.

" That's… great. I suppose. But why… why is Kish out the back then? You didn't tell me that part!"

" Well… I did leave out some parts…" Tart sighed.

" There's… a price for Kish to pay. He betrayed our clan, regardless of how. And there are only a few options as to how to clear his name. One of them happens to include fighting our ex commander. So that's what he chose." Pai said, still nonchalant as ever.

" No! There' s got to be other ways! And what did he do wrong? He got you Mew Aqua! He saved you guys! He…" Ichigo chocked up. " He saved all of us…"

" Yes, that is true. But he fell for you Ichigo. Wholly and deeply he fell for you. And since he was the captain of the mission, it was seen as betraying us. He fell for the enemy, right in the middle, well, the beginning of combat. And he never hid it either. He always wanted you to join us. Otherwise, Tart would go through the same things."

" What do you mean?" Tart questioned, bright red. " I never fell for Ichigo!"

" Pudding." Ichigo sighed. Tart blushed a deeper scarlet, but didn't deny it. Bout time too!

" So… because of me he has to fight. That's not right! No! Why fight?"

" There are other options." Pai reminded her.

" Like?"

" Well…"

---

" Do you think Ichigo-San and Kish are together yet?" Lettuce asked politely, washing the dishes with Ryou. He nodded.

" They're going to be fine Lettuce. You know Kish- he loves Ichigo a lot. And Ichigo loves Kish too- they should be fine."

" What do you suspect is the cause of all of this?" Zakuro asked as she wiped dry the dishes the others had washed. Ryou shrugged.

" All I can think of is another invasion."

" But there's no proof Ryou. Pudding and I just went to check it out. The only alien activity on earth and the surrounding regions are the three we already know of." Keiichirou walked into the room, Pudding bounding right behind him.

" Yeh Na no da!"

" So, you're saying that it could be from the other planet? A call from their home planet is the cause of this? They still live in the same ship if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure they'd still have the technology to keep that contact." Zakuro asked, pressing Pudding for details. She, after all, was with Tart when he left with Pai too.

" Hai! Pai Onii-San came and told Tar-Tar that he was needed at home. Tar-Tar said something like ' I don't want to go home' but then Pai said ' You're needed at _home now_.' And Tar-Tar got it. So they left Na no da!" Pudding sat down on a chair. " It's confusing… Tar-Tar looked so excited but sad at the same time when he left."

" What were you doing with Tart anyway Pudding?" Mint asked, piping up from her teacup. Zakuro's tour in China finished a little while ago, and she arrived back in Tokyo the day earlier, meaning she was there earlier today when Ichigo was upset about Kish. And of course, Mint followed her. So they were all still in the café, cleaning dishes and such. Zakuro was pleased to be back in Tokyo, she said it was too hectic in China.

" We were in the park! I was doing my show and he came to watch Na no da!"

" Ah." Mint giggled. " I see." Keiichirou smiled and stood up.

" I suppose all we can do is wait until Ichigo comes back. She'll be all right. After all, they've been through a lot, those two have. This cant isn't that much worse. Would anyone else like some more tea?"

---

" He chose _fighting_ over _that_?" Ichigo yelled. " I knew he was a bit headstrong sometimes but now he's done _what_?"

" Ichigo, you have to understand…"

" I do! I understand that instead of going back there and proving his loyalty to your commander or whatever he is by a formal meeting, he's _fighting_ him? What other options did he have?"

" Just one." Pai said, sighing. " Kill the one that made him disloyal. You."

Ichigo froze. Kish had three options. Kill her, fight for his chance to stay on earth or talk to have a chance to stay between both planets. Wait, one of them was to _kill her_…

" Is… he really… training to fight his officer? Or…" She choked up slightly. " Or training to fight _me_?"

" You obviously don't have faith in him Ichigo. He'd never hurt you… you know that right?" Tart said quietly. " He said to me… if you came by, to tell you to meet him at the lake late tonight but if you don't show he doesn't mind. He doesn't want you to see him like this. He's in pain Ichigo, understand that, please! There's more background to the story than you know. I think it'd be better if Kish told you, but for now, just understand he's doing what he thinks is right."

" But…" Ichigo murmured. Wait another few hours to see him? Ichigo didn't think so. " If he's in pain, can't I help him?"

" Probably. He doesn't want you to see him angry, however. It's up to you. If you want to go though, you must tell him that we recommended not- he told us not to let you go." Pai started to walk towards a hallway, obviously signaling the end of the conversation.

" Then why are you?" Ichigo asked. He didn't even turn around to answer.

" If you really are dense Ichigo, then you wouldn't know. However, if you are smart or at least a bit understanding of this, then you would."

" I'm… I'm going out there." She took a deep breath in. That is, until she remembered something. She never gave him the gift she bought when she went out with him last time, when he was human… he never received the present.

" On second thought… I'll be back ok?" And she ran out.

---

" Ryou-San? Wasn't that just Ichigo across the road?" Lettuce asked. Ryou was walking her home, he had offered too after the café closed. They had just dropped Pudding off and spent half an hour with her siblings, trying to detangle themselves from the several monkey-like children. Ryou minded a lot but Lettuce didn't, except for the fact they were loud.

" Perhaps… I wonder what our baka-strawberry-head is doing now?"

" Should we run after her? What if she's in trouble?"

" Do you feel that Lettuce?" Ryou stopped walking and stared at Lettuce. She blushed slightly and fixed her glasses. It was a habit of hers, fixing her glasses when put on the spotlight.

" N-No… you think I would if something bad happened?"

" Yeh." Ryou sighed. " Ichigo's probably forgotten something… I would not put it past her. Come on, you gotta get home." And he kept walking, Lettuce by his side.

---

Puffing and huffing, Ichigo found the key to her house hidden under the front pot. She was mentally cursing herself for not brining a key when she left the café- she assumed Kish would bring her home. She hadn't carried a house key in over a month- Kish took care of that.

Funny how someone who meant so little to her a few years ago now was everything that she cared about.

' Where did I put it where did I put it?' Ichigo thought hastily, running up the stairs. As she did she noted the time.

3.56pm.

That meant she had less than three hours before her parents were to arrive home.

' Crap. That's not good.' Ichigo thought. She still had some stuff she had to do for them, like start dinner. She had cleaned earlier, which made it a bit easier for her. But for Ichigo to cook, she'd need at l_east_ 45 minutes before her parents got home.

' I hope it's still in my draw!' She frantically thought as she burst into her room. Masha was asleep on her bedside table- he had basically gone into retirement after he realized the aliens on earth were Ichigo's friends. Now he served no real reason but companionship for Ichigo. That is, when Kish wasn't there.

And the item she was searching for certainly was still in the bag, hidden in her bottom draw. She had a slight flashback to the day she bought it.

" _Can't I just sit down for a second Ichigo?" Kish begged. He had been following Ichigo around the shops for what seemed like hours. He was still getting used to his new body after all!_

" _All right then. I suppose you better rest. I bet you haven't walked so much in your life!" Ichigo giggled. She hadn't had this much fun in ages, especially shopping. Sure, shopping with the other Mews was sort of fun, and Miwa and Moe were good to have around as they were bluntly truthful about clothing, but Kish was different._

_He was new to all of this._

_It was only several hours earlier when they had both woken up from a stressful night where Kish was transformed from his alien form to that of a human, giving all his powers away in the process. _

" _I'm just going to go into this shop ok? You stay here and don't go anywhere!" Ichigo called before turning around and walking into a small shop. Kish sighed. It was fun for him to look at all the luxuries of the human world and watch Ichigo as she looked at the objects with a sort of obsessive longing in her eyes. But when Kish asked if she wanted it, she never obliged._

" _Just because I want something doesn't mean I need it Kish. I might find something better to do with my money!" She giggled. Since she hadn't been shopping in what seemed like for__**ever**__, due to being too depressed from Masaya leaving, she had a good amount in her purse._

_After all, the only thing she could do apart from homework after school was work. _

_And that's when she saw it. It was simple, and yet she loved it from the moment she saw it._

_It was a little silver locket, the shape of a cat with glistening yellow eyes. She squealed when she saw it. It was so cute! The chain was quite long; it would probably reach her stomach if she tried it on. She picked it up, and it shone in the light of the store. Opening it, she noticed there was probably enough room to fit a decent sized photo in it._

" _It's perfect!" She called out to no one in particular. _

" _Are you interested in it ma'am?" A young lady who was probably not much older than Ichigo asked. _

" _Oh yes!" Ichigo squealed. Of course, the locket wasn't for her. No, she had someone better to give it to…_

" _Well that'll be 100,000 yen." Ichigo blinked once, then twice. _(A/N: I'm an Aussie, and to me that's about $100. Just to get that clear!) _That was quite a lot of money for something so simple… _

" _I'll take it!"_

Ichigo sighed. She had so many happy, funny memories of the two of them together… and now she was worried he wanted to kill her. Ironic, how he wanted to get her in the first place, fell in love and now it's reversing again.

" _If he talks with the council, he'll have to leave you behind, Ichigo. Thus he fights."_ Pai's words still rung true in her mind as she picked up the locket and opened it. He had explained this to her, but Ichigo still didn't understand. Sure, Kish was a great fighter. She knew that for a fact. But…

" I'll make sure he's OK." Ichigo murmured, before running outside of her house towards Kish's new home, her gift in her hand. Unfortunately, she was not prepared for what she saw next.

**CLIFF HANGER!**

**  
I'm sorry. I only got minimal reviews, even though they were all superb. Therefore, I decided to be evil and leave you on a cliff! **

**I noticed as I was writing this how Zakuro just _suddenly_ appeared again, so I covered that up. Hopefully no one will notice that and think I did a crap job covering it! sigh. Whoops...**

**Also, I only got 2 reviews about whom Pai should be with… and unfortunately they both contradicted each other! So, the pairings are as follows:**

**Kish x Ichigo**

**Pai x Zakuro**

**Ryou x Lettuce**

**Tart x Pudding**

**And I suppose I'll add minor Keiichirou x Mint in there too. Just to be fair.**

**Sorry if the chapters seem too short. They _are_ mostly 5-7 pages long each though, so I think that's a bit _long_ ne? Either way, I'll update as soon as possible, as long as I get good reviews!**

**I think from now on I'll update more on quality of reviews, rather than quantity!**

**Thanks a bunch for reading, please review and look out for the next chapter! It's half done now anyway!**

**Moonlit-Kris**


	5. Training

**Sorry everyone for not updating sooner! I'm depressed however. I am not getting a lot of reviews. Does that mean no one likes this story? Should I discontinue it? Anyway, enjoy the chapter, it is short and doesn't progress the story much, but it's a suspenseful chapter. It gives different points about what's going on too.**

**Nya enjoy!**

**5. Training**

" Do you think it was a good idea to send Ichigo to see Kish?" Tart said to Pai as they waited for Ichigo to return from getting her gift. Pai looked up from his world geography book.

" I understand your feelings Tart, but I think it was wise. Kish is mad for that girl. We both know that. Soon enough they'll be all lovely together. It'll be fine."

" Ichigo doesn't understand though! She doesn't get it that he's risking everything…"

" Do you really think Kish is making the wrong decision Tart?" Pai suddenly put down his book and stood up. " Think about it. He could live and leave here. But he wont! He loves her too much! Tart, I know you. You definitely can relate." Tart blushed.

" I-I-I…" He sighed in defeat. There was no use pretending he and Pudding didn't have something. They were both teenagers now; it was OK for them to have a relationship. It was a cute one too. They had been out several times together to the park and once even to the movies, using the same technique Ichigo and Kish were to use. The hats.

" So he's not going to leave. Fair enough, I can understand that. But… why is he training so hard now?"

" The council gave him a week. He's been slack, spending all his time with that girl. He hasn't spent anytime training. I give him credit though, he's pretty good." Pai looked out the window where he saw Kish stabbing at Chimera. He was quick, that was for sure. " How could we have lost with that on our side?"

" Dunno. Pai… will it be ok?"

"Hai Tart. It's ok." Pai's expression softened slightly. He smiled, a rare smile indeed. The sort of smile he only reserved for one girl.

---

" I (puff) made (puff) (puff) it." Mew Ichigo murmured to herself, out of breath. She had vowed never to transform into Mew Ichigo ever again, unless it was an emergency, but this _could_be counted as one if she really needed to defend herself.

' I hope Ryou doesn't have the computer tracking me still… that would be bad. I haven't transformed to fight, I don't need backup.' She thought, thinking about returning to normal. But somehow, she couldn't. Her ears, tail and costume wouldn't fade away.

' Uh... Whatever. I'll stay as a Mew for now, it's not like I have to hide it from anyone here.' She reasoned, before taking a hasty step towards the door. Knocking only once, she tried to catch her breath.

" Ichigo. You're here, that's good. Uh, he's still out the back…" Pai said as he opened the door. Tart appeared next to him.

" Good, you're in Mew form. I think it'd be safer, just incase. He's training pretty hard." Tart nodded and both the aliens stood aside, letting Ichigo walk through the house and to the back door.

Ichigo gripped the locket in her right hand and reached for the handle with her left. She braced herself, not knowing what was next. Her heart started beating rapidly as she heard yelling, the swooshing of blades and the definite puffing of someone in mid battle. She opened the door slightly…

And she definitely was _not_ ready for the next few things she saw.

---

" I don't understand." Keiichirou muttered, typing combinations into the keyboard.

" What's wrong Akasaka-san?" Mint asked, walking down the stairs. They were running low on strawberry shortcake upstairs and they needed Keiichirou to make some more before they ran out. So, being the lovely worker she was, Mint offered to sacrifice five minutes of tea drinking to ask him to bake.

" Oh? Mint? When'd you get here?"

" Ah, just now. You don't understand what though? What's wrong?" Mint walked over to the seated man and looked at the screen. There was a bunch of statistics covering the screen and a map in the bottom right hand corner, with a pink dot flashing.

" See this dot? It means Mew Ichigo has transformed." Keiichirou said gravely. Mint gasped slightly.

" She's transformed?" Analyzing the situation, Mint suddenly laughed. " I wouldn't worry about it. She's with Kish and the others remember? If something went wrong, they'd help her too."

" That's what's worried me the most Mint." Keiichirou bowed his head. " The only other energy increase… _is_ Kish."

---

Nothing.

That was exactly what Mew Ichigo saw next. Nothing out of the ordinary was before her pink eyes. The clearing was just as normal, the trees seemed untouched and the skies… wait. There he was.

' Oh. My. God. How, how could we ever lose to him? He's so quick! Oh god. He could kill me instantly! Oh no! Was this a bad idea?' She thought, covering her mouth with her hands. Kish was flashing in the sky, his form barely visible. He was obviously glittering with sweat however. Ichigo trembled. She was truly scared. He was out of control, destroying Chimera jelly anima. He was so quick, so precise with his swords; it was as if he was really angry.

' How long has he been training?' Ichigo wondered. She blushed slightly. He was definitely muscular, and yet nowhere near chunky. He was perfect in her eyes in fact. For the past month he'd been wearing Mint's brother's clothing, well, some of it. It was hard for Mint to sneak clothing out as she had maids everywhere. But she had succeeded. Just earlier today Kish was wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt and light blue pants. But now, he was dressed in his old, fighting garbs.

Ichigo closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. She needed to calm down. He wasn't in any danger that was for sure. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing.

She blinked once, then twice. He had gone?

Scanning the skies again, Ichigo started to shake. She felt so nervous, so exposed and she couldn't shake the other familiar feeling she was getting.

Hey, where was this feeling from anyway? Ichigo closed her eyes and tried to figure it out. This wasn't the same feeling she got when Kish had died or got hurt. It wasn't the same as when she was emotionally distressed. No, it was the same feeling, the very same rush of adrenaline she used to get seconds before…

Fighting a Chimera Anima.

---

" If Mint's right, then we have nothing to worry about at all." Ryou said, nodding his head. Keiichirou disagreed.

" I think something's wrong. Ichigo wouldn't transform to do nothing Ryou."

" Perhaps she needed a bit of extra power?" Zakuro spoke up, looking nonchalant. " Lettuce mentioned earlier the pair of you saw her running towards her house when you dropped Pudding and Lettuce home." Ryou blushed slightly, but nodded. Lettuce had called Zakuro, asking if she knew why Ichigo was in a rush.

" Yeh. After I dropped her home, I didn't notice anything else. I had the intention of closing the café, as you all know, but when I arrived back you girls were still working, as there were still customers… I didn't think anything would happen to Ichigo, otherwise I'd have you all on alert." He sighed and slumped further into his chair.

" Rest Ryou. For now I'll agree with Mint. We shouldn't assume something horrible until we have information. But for now, I'll sent R2000 to send us some information…"

" Good idea Keiichirou." Mint admitted, wishing she could have thought of that earlier.

" Waitress!" A female voice called. Ryou rolled his eyes. He had forgotten about the customers, they were all huddled in the kitchen trying to figure out their dilemma.

" Finish up your jobs girls, its closing time."

" Uh Ryou?" Keiichirou asked as Mint and Zakuro left to close the shop. " I think we'd better send R2000 right away."

" Why the rush? I'm sure the baka-strawberry is fine."

" But there's a Chimera Anima in the forest."

" A _what_?"

---

Ichigo realized almost too late she wasn't shaking. The _ground_ was shaking. She turned around and saw it. It, that is, being the huge bird Chimera only meters away from her. It spread its great green wings and launched its beak into the ground, attempting to peck the pink feline.

But luckily, Ichigo dodged it.

" Nya! No fair!" She whined. She hadn't been concentrating, otherwise she would have realized the Chimera ages ago.

' I'm out of practice. Maybe I _should_ train like Ryou said. Agh I hate it when he's right!' She thought, dodging another attack.

" Strawberry Bell!" She yelled for the first time in several years. Sure, she had transformed within the past month, but she hadn't used her powers.

" Ribbon… Strawberry Ch-nya!" Ichigo tried to summon her powers to destroy the Chimera, but it had got to her first. And suddenly her mind turned towards another factor- where did Kish go? Facing the sky she tried to find the person of her affection.

And yet, her search didn't go for long, as the Chimera tried to peck her to death again.

" I'm so sick of you! Go away!" She screamed. She was angry now. " Ribbon! Strawberry Check Surprise!" And with a flash of pink bubbles, the Chimera was turning into dust, with a small wild bird flew away from a yellow Chimera jelly. And then, Ichigo saw him.

Kish was coming right at her, as quick as anything, his swords crossed before him.

Unfortunately, there was nothing between them. Ichigo closed her eyes tight, gulping.

' This… is it. He's going to get me. There's nothing to stop him. I'm so sorry Kish. I should have waited and not been so curious.' A tear ran down her cheek and she expected a thud.

And it came…

And so did the blackness of unconsciousness, enveloping Ichigo in a calming and cold state of mind. Of course, she could have imagined it, but the second she was hit she thought she felt cold metal against her neck.

**I'm evil. Ok, you are probably sick of cliffhangers now. I'm very, very sorry everyone! I promise the next chapter, which is nearly finished anyway, will NOT have a cliffy! Authoress's oath! Either way, it was a pretty useless chapter. Except the fact Ichigo crushes on Kish. Ha, ha. **

**So, what happened? Did Ichigo really feel the metal against her neck? What will that mean? A week Pai says. So, what will happen in that week? Will Ichigo and Kish have to separate if she convinces him not to fight? I'm only adding _slight_ signs of other character pairings, as I don't think they'll matter too much.**

**But if you want a specific pairing, do tell me so in a review! Chapter 6 is up too, so keep reading! **

**Until next time...**

**Nya!**

**MK**


	6. Living for Today

**6. Let's live for today**

Ichigo replayed the scene in her mind over and over again. Her body may have been unconscious but she could still think. She had seen it. The fear in his eyes before she closed them tight. The ultimate "oh damn it" look anyone could have. She felt sorry for Kish. If she had really been injured, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.

So, what had been that metal feeling against her neck before she had blacked out? Ichigo pondered this. If it had been the swords, she would have felt tearing and _then_ a thud. Did that mean…

" Ichigo?"

Thank god. She wasn't dead obviously. She could feel her conscious become aroused, as if someone was talking to her.

' Time to set the record straight.' She thought before opening her eyes.

---

" Ichigo?" A muffled voice cried. As she became more and more aware of her situation, Ichigo noticed a few things. She was sitting on something, or _someone_. That someone was crying into her neck, cradling her for dear life. She could breathe easily, meaning that there were no significant gashes that would make breathing hard.

" I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. I made the Chimera to fight. I was about to attack it but it disappeared." Kish sobbed into Ichigo's neck. She had de-transformed and her pink shirt was soaking his tears. Ichigo had the desire to hug him, but she couldn't find the power.

" It was a mistake. I-I never meant this. I never meant any of it! Damn it! Ichigo please don't die on me." Kish sobbed louder again, making Ichigo's heart ache. It sprung a memory into mind, however. A memory she would rather forget.

" _Rats! I lost." An injured Kish smirked as he fell to the ground in defeat._

" _No! No! Kish! Kish!" Ichigo ran over to him and picked up his bloody body, tears streaming down her cheeks._

" _Bummer. I was going to defeat Master Deep Blue and have you kiss me for my victory. But I guess having you hold me is a great second choice. It feels so good to lie against your chest. So soft and warm… "_

" _Kish…"_

" _I'm lucky to have this moment."_

" _Kish!"_

" _Ichigo? Why are you crying Ichigo? I'll tell you something good."_

" _W-what is it? Kish?"_

" _I love you."_

It was the same feeling, the same feeling of loss. But the roles were reversed. Now, it was Ichigo injured in his arms.

" I love you Ichigo." Kish whispered, hugging her tighter.

' He feels…warm…I'm not cold anymore…'

" Me…too…" Ichigo murmured, trying to find her voice. Kish moved around slightly, as if he was hearing things. Ichigo felt it. The cold metal- it was his shirt! The top of the collar! So that meant…

He had made the swords disappear in time. No wonder she survived. But she felt sore. Her back, her neck, her whole body felt grazed.

" Ichigo?" Kish whispered, not moving his head from her shoulder. She smiled.

" I love you too. Don't be a baka Kish!" Her voice was hoarse and strained- she was barely awake. She smiled again and saw the relief flash across his face, followed by more tears. She tried to raise her arms to him, but she couldn't. The next thing she knew, she was unconscious again.

---

" I don't care for your reasons! Ichigo's hurt and it's YOUR fault!"

" Don't blame me! I didn't know she was there! I didn't hurt her! She was just in shock! She will wake up!" Ichigo moaned quietly, not wanting to open her eyes. They were heavy, like there were weights against her eyelids. She could hear two male voices, one being Kish, and the other belonging to Ryou.

" It's been an hour Kish! Don't pretend you're not scared either!"

' I've been out an hour? That means its about five o'clock. I still have two hours before my parents get home…' She moaned out load again and this time Kish heard her.

" Ichigo?" Ichigo managed to open her eyes but everything was fuzzy. She blinked a few times, the challenge almost getting the better of her. She sighed heavily.

" Ichigo?" Ryou asked also, bending down next to Ichigo's bed. Kish followed suit, both of them on either side of the bed she was on. Ichigo slowly sat up slightly, propping her weight on her elbows. Her vision was becoming clearer and Kish broke the awkward silence in the area.

" I'm so glad you're ok."

" Me too." Ichigo laughed, smiling slightly. Ryou sighed in frustration.

" Here I am scared half to death about you, thinking you were in serious trouble and the thanks I get is to watch you flirt with your boyfriend! Nice one baka-strawberry."

" Go back to sleep Ichigo, just rest. I'll take you home." Kish whispered, picking her up in his arms. And it didn't take long for Ichigo to relax and fall asleep as he teleported them home.

**Hey! I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in ages, but school's been really busy! I'm in the middle exam block right now, but I really wanted to post this up! **

**Gomen, this chapter isn't too long at all, but I had a major writers block. I think I know how I'm going to continue, so expect a bit more frequent updates! **

I also posted up chapter 5 today too, so I suppose it's not too bad… 

**Once again, sorry about the shortness and not updating! Review please! **

**  
Moonlit-Kris **


	7. Compromise

**Taaa-daaa! Chapter 7 is up and at 'em.**

**BEFORE you kill me, please understand I've been MEGA busy lately! I've now got a new job, school is over but it was HECTIC while it lasted, we're moving house and it's nearly Christmas! Anyway, more authors notes at the end, but SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR SO LONG MINNA! GOMENNASAI! Onegai, forgive me!**

**Ahem, onto the story!**

**7. Compromise **

" Kish…" Ichigo mumbled as she started to wake up one more time. She could feel a hand on her head, but something about it wasn't quite the same as Kish's…

" Ichigo? Ichigo dear, are you feeling well? We came home early to see you sleeping… Ichigo?"

" M-mum?" Ichigo opened her eyes to see her mother, Sakura Momomiya, towering over her and she could also see her father, Shintaro, in the doorway.

" It's OK Ichigo, you have a slight fever. Oh, why didn't you tell us you were ill you silly girl? We wouldn't have left you with so many chores that way!" Sakura giggled. " Either way, you deserve your rest. After all, you've been muttering about quiches and kisses for ten minutes now! We wont bother you again but call us if you need us, ok dear?"

" Thanks mum." Ichigo yawned and stretched. Truth be told, she didn't feel ill at all, a bit sore and tired perhaps but not sick. But if her parent's bought the excuse… then it was fine. Ichigo looked over to her dad and smiled at him as he closed the door. She could hear footsteps going down the staircase and then… nothing.

" Koneko-chan!" A voice urgently whispered, breaking the silence. Ichigo looked up to see Kish floating at the end of her bed, worry plastered across his pale face.

" Hey there Kish." Ichigo smiled, sitting up. Kish quickly floated towards her, placing his hand behind her back to help her sit up. Ichigo giggled. " You don't need to be so worried Kish, ease up! I'm fine."

" I feel so guilty." Kish mumbled, stroking Ichigo's hair, looking at the floor. Ichigo tugged on his arm and pulled him down towards her and enveloped him in a hug.

" Don't," she murmured. " Don't feel guilty over something you couldn't really control."

" Ichigo…" Kish sighed into her neck, still feeling guilty, but comforted.

" Hey, look, I didn't mean to interrupt your training or anything by the way! But I don't see why you're even pushing yourself so hard, I doubt you'll ever lose anything!" Ichigo shuffled along the bed, making room for Kish to sit down. He did sit down beside her but his arms were still firm around her. He didn't want to let her go. Not again.

" Ichigo… please, understand that I don't want to do this." Looking down at the alien that had attached himself to her, Ichigo smiled.

" I do understand. It's not your fault. If anything it's mine." Ichigo laughed slightly as Kish's head looked up in confusion. " It's my fault you're on Earth to begin with! But there's nothing we can do about it, right?"

" All I can do… is fight my leader and hope that I win. If I do, they promised to let Pai, Tart and I chose where we live and do as we please."

" Then all I can do is assist in anyway I can. Pai mentioned you have one week…"

" Do you think I can do it Ichigo?"

" Of course! You may have lost to me, but that's only because you were different years ago. Now you've got nearly everything you've wanted, right? There's nothing holding you back now."

" No. Only the thought of losing you." Before Ichigo could answer him, Kish placed a long, heartfelt kiss on her lips. Ichigo blushed; he never really gave her any warning before he kissed her. Sometimes he would be mid sentence and then suddenly just lay one on her. She had learnt not to deny him either, that just made him upset. Not that she minded. Maybe it was the sudden action that she found made the kiss more exciting.

" Koneko-chan, I'll have to train hard to beat my leader. He's the only one above me. But I don't want to leave you either- what happens if I lose? I'll never be able to spend time with you after that!" Kish complained after he broke the kiss.

" So let's compromise Kish. You train for the 7 hours I'm at school and afterwards we can spend time together. I'll keep that black hat for you; we'll need it for when we go out. That way if for some, whacked up reason you lose, we'd still have spent time together." Ichigo smiled and released herself from Kish's grasp in favour of lying down. Her aching body was finally catching up with her and she felt absolutely beat.

" Well, that sounds good Koneko-chan. I'll see you tomorrow then ne?" Kish nodded his head in goodbye, about to teleport outside to sleep in his tree again, but was interrupted by a certain neko-girl's hand curled around his.

" I'm not at school Kish. Don't leave me." Ichigo looked up at him, her chocolate eyes pleading him to stay. Not being one to ignore an offer like this from his feline friend, Kish smirked. I was half a perverted smirk (Kish hadn't changed much) but also half a content smile.

" If you insist my Koneko-chan, if you insist." He slid next to Ichigo silently, placing his arms mechanically around her small body. Ichigo curled up next to him, taking in his scent and enjoying the warmth he gave off.

" This way, you wont be sleeping outside." Ichigo mumbled as sleep pulled the strawberry-head towards its make-believe world of fantasy and dream.

" True. Also, I get to spend time with you."

" Just… don't try anything… stupid…" Ichigo yawned, truly ready for sleep.

" If you insist my Koneko-chan, if you insist."

---

Ichigo woke up, feeling quite warm. She didn't even bother to open her eyes- she knew why already. She was cuddled up against Kish, his breath blowing across her forehead lightly. She smiled, knowing it was too early to wake up. She could enjoy this moment for a little while longer.

Suddenly, Kish jumped up from the bed, gasping for air. Ichigo sat up to see what was wrong and saw her boyfriend a little paler than usual, clutching at his heart at taking deep breathes.

" Kish?" Ichigo leant over and put a hand on his shoulder. " Are you ok?"

" Oh Ichigo!" He whispered, looking relieved. Ichigo realized he must've been dreaming, and judging by the way he reacted, it was horrible. " I don't think I can do this…" He muttered. " I'm too scared of losing you!"

" Kish, we went over this remember?" Ichigo leant over to him and put her arms around his shoulders, trying to eliminate his fears, whatever they were. " You _can_ do it!"

" I couldn't even defeat _you_ though!" Kish muttered again, smirking slightly. Ichigo rolled her eyes and huffed.

" And if _that's_ how you're going to talk to me…" She growled, taking her arms away from him. She knew his game all too well by now.

" Just come here." Kish grinned, obviously he was realizing his dream was just that- a dream. An illusion created by the mind to sort out the information gained during the day. It was just a fantasy that the subconscious takes you too whilst your body rests after a whole day of working.

Ichigo smiled and laid her head down on his shoulder. She knew deep in her heart that it was going to be fine- Kish wasn't one to lose battles. But in the back of her mind she knew she had to enjoy every moment they had, incase Ichigo's heart was wrong.

---

All was silent in the Momomiya house on a particular Sunday morning. Sakura and Shintaro, the parental Momomiyas were out at work and shopping and there were two more people upstairs in a particular pink girl's room.

The silence didn't last for long.

" Koneko-Chaaaaan!" The teenage boy wailed. " I look like a geek!"

" No you don't Kish! Now stay still, I have to fix your hat up! It's all to the side!"

" I thought side hats were cool!"

" Yeh, if you're gangster! Now hold still!" Ichigo twisted the hat on the green haired boy's head until it faced to the front. She stepped back and admired her work. Somehow she had convinced Kish to wear a light green T-Shirt that was had a normal, round collar and no sleeves, along with dark blue, nearly black jeans that were a bit baggy for his form, black sneakers and a black cap.

Kish had fought defensively, asking, well, more like demanding that he wore a his old garbs, as he was used to it more. Ichigo denied, saying he needed to blend in. Kish was used to cold temperatures, such as those in shopping malls, so his old mid-driff showing shirts wouldn't bother him too much.

" Do _you_ think I look ok then Koneko-Chan?"

" Yeh! You look great!" Ichigo smiled, pleased with her handiwork. She was wearing a light pink dress (surprise, surprise) with knee-high red stockings. If you put Kish and Ichigo together, they would be like a pale strawberry.

" Ok then. If you think so!" Kish looked Ichigo up and down when she wasn't looking. The dress she was wearing showed off her small frame perfectly. Not that she was tiny anymore. Once puberty hit her full power, Ichigo gained a lot of weight, but not an excessive amount, just enough to fill her new body out, lost her tiny waist, her tiny hips and small chicken legs. Instead, she had womanly curves, wide hips for bearing children and thicker legs, since she had spent so much time "working out" as a Mew. In this dress, her arms were out in the open, her curves were evident as the dress clung to her body nicely and her ch---

" KISH!" Ichigo yelled, ripping Kish from his dazed state of mind. Ichigo saw where his eyes were traveling instantly- he was, after all, Kish. Her perverted alien stalker turned perverted alien boyfriend.

" Gomen Koneko-Chan!" Kish laughed nervously, trying to get out of this sticky situation. If Ichigo got mad at him, he'd never be able to forgive himself. He'd worked too hard to be where he was today to let his perverted-ness get in the way of things.

' None the less, Ichigo looks hot in that dress!' He thought evilly when her back was turned. Boyfriend he may be _now_ but alien and pervert he will _always_ be.

" By the way, Kish?" Ichigo turned back around, remembering something. " Yesterday, when I was knocked out, did you happen to find… uh… a locket?" Ichigo blushed. She'd forgotten all about it, the present that cost her 100,000 yen _($100 Australian Dollars)_. Kish smirked.

" Why, yes I did. And my, my Koneko-Chan, you shouldn't have gone to all that trouble for me!" Kish smiled nicer this time and scratched his neck, hooking a chain as he did. He pulled it up until the silver cat with gold eyes was glistening before Ichigo.

" Thank god…" She mumbled. " Do you like it?"

" You bet I do." Kish hugged Ichigo, grinning like a madman. He did, in fact, like the gift, and he would NEVER refuse anything by his Koneko-Chan. The hug, however, this close contact she was now giving him was much more satisfying than a piece of molded, shined-up rock.

" You…can let go now you know." Ichigo said, squirming in his grip. She sighed, knowing exactly what was going on.

' He's still a teenager… stupid teenage boy hormones!'

" But I don-wanna let go!" Kish grinned, hugging Ichigo tighter. Her cat ears suddenly popped out followed soon by her tail. Kish just grinned wider, his face splitting almost literally in two, until he heard a loud _pop_.

He suddenly fell forward as there was nothing his arms anymore. He stopped himself from crashing into the floor by floating and looked around. Ichigo was no-where to be seen, but a black cat with bright pink eyes was certainly staring right at the alien.

" Kawaii!" Kish yelped, picking up the neko-strawberry and stroking her black fur. Ever since she got rid of the bell Masaya gave to her, she assumed it no longer appeared when she was a cat. Not that she had been a cat until now.

" Did I make you excited kitten? Nervous? Aw, none-the-less, let's just give you a little kiss so you turn back to normal…" He leant forward and pecked Ichigo on the forehead. Suddenly he was on the floor, a now heavy cat-girl caging him on the floor. Ichigo blushed and stood up, extending her hand to Kish.

" Ok, enough fooling around, let's go Kish. We've got a lot to do today, remember?"

" Yup!"

" Ok, Kish, take us away!"

**For those who didn't notice, I tried to make it seem that Kish is still perverted and such, because I've read a lot of flames lately on other stories and I think I might be next if I didn't make him more…. Kish like. Please remember this is a T rated fic, Ichigo is 15, Kish is 16 and the others are roughly the same age, so there will be NO lemon here! If lime includes kissing then this is a very MILD lime story!**

**Hah, I'll admit it; I forgot the whole purpose of this story for a while. I had to re-read it a heap of times to remember what I had planned! None-the-less, I have the ideas back now and I know what's gonna happen! ;**

**If you have any ideas or wishes that you'd like to see in this fic, then please do tell me! I'll be more than happy to incorporate ideas that I can see fitting into here nicely! That way it'll be longer for you all!**

**This story is less serious than Falling For You in Ichigo and Kish's relationship, as they've already got one established now. But I'll _try_ my hardest to keep the fluff meter WAY up there! If you're looking for a quick fluff-fix, read some of my one-shots! I've also fixed up my profile a bit… check it out:-)**

**And that's it for now! Thanks a lot for being patient, reading and please review! Unfortuantly I'm NOT going to update the next chapter until I get 30 reviews all up... so if you love me or just love this story please review! That way, by setting limits, I'll have chapters ready for when we reach that mark!**

I don't own TMM or any of the characters but this idea and storyline is mine!

**MK**


	8. Excitement at the Fair

**Unfortuatnly I'm an idiot. I know I'm not gonna get 30 reviews. BUT I did get about 3 and a few faves, so therefore I'm posting this up! **

**This will be the LONGEST chapter this story has seen so far I reckon! Also, because I've got so little reviews, I'm thinking of discontinuing the story. But its only getting good now…sob so if you love me, please review! Future chapters will probably be half the length if you want me to update quicker by the way, or I you're happy with waiting for a few days (a week max probably) then they'll stay this long. **

**Enjoy!**

**8- Excitement at the Fair**

Ichigo and Kisshu soon appeared behind a dumpster in a loud, crowded area.

" You couldn't have picked a greater landing place." Ichigo moaned sarcastically, trying not to step in trash. Kish scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.

" I tried to find a spot where we'd be well hidden…"

" Ok, ok, let's go then!" Ichigo murmured, looking for a safe time to jump out and act normal. She ducked her head out; noticing there weren't too many people looking in their direction, and cautiously stepped out, stretching as she did so.

" Well what shall we do first, Koneko-Chan?" Kisshu asked, teleporting beside her. Ichigo jumped in shock.

" D-Don't _do_ that Kish. I hate haunted houses, ghosts and anything scary!" She muttered, wishing she hadn't mentioned anything about haunted houses.

" Oh yeh, if I remember clearly, when you thought the green Mew was a ghost at the school you were quite distressed.

" Yup… hey, how'd you know about that? You didn't appear until later on after she joined!"

" That's what you think Koneko-Chan. I watched you since your first date with that Aoyama creep." Kish draped his arm around her shoulders tugging her closer to him as they walked down the pathway.

" H-Hey!" Ichigo blushed a deep scarlet, trying her best to remember what had gone on before she had met Kish. There was her date with Aoyama, her encounter with Mint, day Lettuce joined them and then Kish jumped into her life.

" Well what'd you expect from me Koneko-Chan? I watched you get injected too. That's how I knew you were a Mew."

" O-oh." Ichigo bowed her head. " I suppose you saw me acting like an idiot then huh?"

" Nah, not an idiot. Just a confused twelve year old." Kish sighed, leaning on Ichigo's head. " And this time, nothing's going to interrupt your date. I know I wont set any Chimera off like I did last time you were here."

" Ah yeh!" Ichigo remembered her date with Masaya at the fair. It was here where Kish had let off a heap of Chimera to distract her. " Well, let's start going on some rides before we eat!"

" Fair enough. Pick one Koneko-Chan!"

" I pick…" She closed her eyes and pointed in a random direction. " THAT ONE!"

Ichigo's luck seemed to be with her this time, as she picked a nice, simple roller coaster. Kish didn't mind one bit- this was an opportunity for him to experience more perks of the human civilization. Also, it got his mind of _other_ matters of importance.

" I still don't see why humans think rides like this one are fun." Kish mumbled, as he got strapped up in the roller coaster seat. Ichigo laughed at that.

" You'll see."

3…

2…

1…

---

After the ride, Kish felt really hyper. It was as if he had been given too much sugar.

" What-what happened on there? All of a sudden I feel so…?"

" Rushed?" Ichigo asked, crossing her arms.

" Yeh!" Kish jumped up and down.

" It's called an adrenaline rush Kish." Kish smacked his head after Ichigo said that.

" Well duh. I should-a known that." Ichigo giggled again.

" Well we've got the whole day to go on rides… lets pick another!"

" My turn Koneko-Chan!"

---

" You hate me, don't you?" Ichigo wailed as they approached the next ride. Kish just squeezed her hand as they waited in line. Ichigo used her other hand to grab onto his arm.

" I don't hate you Koneko-Chan. I just wanted to see this ride!"

" But Kiiiiish!" She howled, her long fingernails cutting into his skin.

" Put the claws away kitty cat!" Kish yelped. He wasn't game enough to look down- he was sure she had drawn blood in five different spots by now.

" S-sorry. But you _know_ I hate haunted houses!" Ichigo pointed up at the sad, gloomy clown face of an entry that they were about to go into. She shuddered with fear. " It's dark and scary! Let's go back!"

" Nuh uh, Koneko-Chan. I'll be right there with you, so don't worry about it!" He took a step forward as the lined moved it. Whatever the ride was like, it was obviously popular. They had, after all, been in line for quite some time now. This wasn't good for Ichigo as her nerves started stacking on one another as every minute ticked by.

" Kish." She gasped all of a sudden. " When I get scared my ears…" She whispered, pointing to invisible cat ears on her head.

" No problem Koneko-Chan. If anyone asks, it's a novelty headband. Besides, I have the feeling it's going to be dark in there anyway." Kish grinned. " We're almost there…"

" Nya…" Ichigo whimpered one last time before entering the scary ride.

As they stepped in, a woman in a goblin outfit lead her and Kish to a seat and strapped them in. Ichigo looked around in awe. Surprisingly she wasn't cowering in fear at the goblin lady. Maybe it was because the suit was not scary at all.

" Last time I was here the haunted house was a walk in experience!" She gasped.

" Technology changes love. Now we're much more advanced!" The lady bowed and walked off to let more customers through.

" Advanced? Yeah, right. Compared to _my_ kind, this would be nothing." Kish gloated, making Ichigo laugh.

" Stop being a show off Kish." She latched onto his arm playfully; not noticing the ride was about to start. It started off slow at first and then with a lurch it went forward at full speed.

" Nyaaaa!" Ichigo screamed, grabbing onto Kish's arm tighter. He didn't mind- at least she wasn't draining blood again. He quite enjoyed having her so close. As the ride started to slow down, images kept popping up all of a sudden, making the poor neko-girl's ears and tail pop out and stand on end.

" It's not real, it's not real…" Ichigo chanted to her self for a little while before a cold wind blew in her face and the image of a half-decapitated ghost jumped out in front of her.

" Nyaaaa get me off this thing!" She cried, trying to hold back her tears. Kish lent over to her and kissed her on the forehead. He was enjoying the ride himself, he was used to scary things but this was quite amusing to him.

With one last burst of speed the ride was over.

" Nya… Kish?" She asked, sitting down on a seat ten meters away from the exit.

" Hai my Koneko-Chan?" He asked sitting down next to her and covering her ears with his arm, making it seem like he was leaning on her.

" Never _ever_ take me on a scary ride like that again!" She said, turning to face him. Her ears had disappeared but her tail was still fluffy and wrapped around her waist underneath her dress.

" Ok then. But that was _nothing_ I reckon. The technology was second rate." He chuckled slightly. " But yes, no more rides like that for you Koneko-Chan, your face seems slightly green."

" Y-yeah…"

" Is that you Ichigo-Onee-Chan Na no da?" Ichigo heard a voice call from the crowds. She looked up and saw Pudding come bouncing towards them, dragging behind her a very red-faced boy. Ichigo had to look twice to realize she was dragging a very-red faced _Tart_.

" Hey there Pudding! What are you doing here?" She questioned, grinning at the little pair. Tart tried to avoid her gaze and Kish's too. Ichigo looked to the side and saw Kish bend over to grab Tart in a headlock. He started to ruffle his hair, muttering, " You little player!" And such to the poor boy who was trying his hardest to release himself from Kish's strong grip. Alas, the thirteen year old didn't stand a chance against Kish.

Ichigo giggled and turned to Pudding, who was still grinning.

" Are you and Tart on a date Pudding?" She asked. Pudding's grin widened.

" Not quite Na no da. Pudding was just doing her show at the fair because there's lots of people and Tar-Tar came walking past and he started to watch Pudding's show Na no da! And now that Pudding's finished we're walking around together Na no da!"

" I see." Ichigo chuckled slightly as Tart finally got out of Kish's deadly grip and ran over to Pudding, pulling her along muttering, " Let's go."

" Bye, bye Ichigo-Onee-Chan! Bye Kish-Onii-Chan Na no da!" Pudding yelled, waving madly at the older couple before turning around and running off with Tart. Ichigo looked up at Kish and laughed, shaking her head, her nausea long forgotten.

" It's so cute huh?" She glanced back over to the thirteen year olds, but they were gone from her sight.

" Yeh." Kish agreed, placing his arm around Ichigo. " Shall we keep going?"

---

For the rest of the day Ichigo and Kish went on many more rides but also stopped for lunch for an hour. Ichigo warned him about fair food- some of it was not worth being eaten. She pointed them in the direction of a nearby shopping mall with a small food court and they ate there for a while, as well as browsing the shops, looking for nothing in particular.

By now it was getting dark and the sun was starting to set. Ichigo's dad expected her home by seven, as she had told him she was going out with a friend. Her mother, however, guessed that it may as well be a boyfriend, but didn't let Shintaro know that.

" Let's go on one more ride ok Kish?" Ichigo begged as they passed a huge Ferris wheel. Kish nodded and started to line up with Ichigo. There were quite a few people in front of them and a numerous amount lining up behind them- everyone wanted to see the sunset as close as possible.

Soon it was their turn to ride.

" Ready Kish?"

" Aw Koneko-Chan, if you wanted to see the sunset from so high up I could've just teleported us somewhere!"

" But the Ferris wheel is cool!" Ichigo whined, closing the door of the little carriage behind Kish as he stepped in. Kish just rolled his eyes and sat next to Ichigo, hugging her close.

Slowly they went up…and up… and up…

" We're at the very top now Kish!" Ichigo gleefully announced as they, indeed, reached the top. She was staring at the sunset from one side of the carriage, amazed at how it lit up the sky so beautifully with its warm colours. Kish, on the other hand, was staring at something else with a grave expression on his face.

" Whoa." He muttered.

" I know!" Ichigo giggled, turning to see what he was looking at. And she too went pale.

"It's a…"

" Chimera."

**Ooh suspense! I had to do it. People like to review when there are suspenseful cliffhangers! So there you go! What the hell's the Chimera doing at the fair? Tart and Kish were both there on a date with their beloved Mews (lol) … was it Pai? Or was it someone **_**else?**_

**All will be revealed in chapter 9! So please, please, PLEASE review if you want to find out what happens and who it was! Thankyou! I hope you enjoy the story too by the way!**

**I have chapter nine and part of ten ready to go too, so I will update soon. BUT please REVIEW me! I love it when people reveiw AND fav, but just faving is frustrating! Ok, no it's not. I just like to hear what people think! So fav if you love it but review anyway!**

**Moonlit-Kris (MK)**

**Also, I may change my name to Strawberry Bubblegum, so be on the lookout for that. Until then, I'm still Moonlit-Kris (MK) ... :-) **


	9. Warning

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Today's Christmas day and I wasn't planning on putting this up until I got another review (as my goal was 30 and I have 29 now I think) but I'm in a jolly mood so here we go!**

**Whoo, chapter nine! Now it's the holidays I'll type a lot quicker! Yay! That is, what I can do between work and other activities… Anyway, I'm going away after New Year (Jan 9****th**** till the 23****rd****), so I hope you enjoy whatever I post up before then! **

**This chapter is shorter, I'm doing shorter chapters so I update a bit quicker. Still, this is a good length, ne? Fight scene! I'm not too good at fight scenes…**

**9- Warning**

" How could there be a Chimera here?" Ichigo yelled, pulling out her pendant.

" I have no clue Ichigo. But it looks like _we're_ gonna have to stop it before it destroys everything!" He nodded to Ichigo and she kissed the pendant.

" Mew Mew Strawberry, Metamorphosis!" She yelled, the whole carriage flashing pink as the redhead transformed into the crime fighting cat girl, Mew Ichigo.

" Was it Pai?" Ichigo questioned Kish as they started descending the ride. They had seen Tart earlier; it couldn't have been him, since he was with Pudding. Kish shook his head.

" I don't think so. I do animal and parasite Chimera, Tart does plants… but whatever _that_ is, it is definitely not Pai's. I can tell." Kish said, still shaking his head. Ichigo grabbed onto his arm, tearing Kish's attention from the Chimera.

" Take us down there. I don't want anyone to see us get off this ride, especially since what happened last month." She begged, receiving a small smile from Kish in reply. And within seconds they were gone.

---

The afore mentioned Chimera was a huge creature, probably the size of a large car. It had purple fur with yellow streaks down its back and on its face and paws. It was built like a tiger but it had the features of a wolf and a shell on its back like a turtle's. Ichigo gasped when she saw it up close. In the setting sunlight she could see a glittering gem on its head, similar to the souls Kish and the other aliens stole from various humans a few years back.

" Whoa… that's a really weird Chimera! It's a hybrid!" She yelled over the screams of the crowd. " How should we attack it?"

" With all we've got!" Kish yelled, making his dragon swords appear in his hands. He flew up into the air and started to stab the Chimera, avoiding its claws and its hard shell. Ichigo watched in awe for a moment before coming to her senses and summoning her strawberry bell.

" Kish!" Ichigo screamed as he got hit back by the Chimera's tail. Ichigo could tell from a distance that he was bleeding. She felt her weapon grow warm- her powers were finally coming back.

" Ribbon, Strawberry Check!" She yelled, a beam of pink energy flowing from her bell. The Chimera jumped out the way, landing with a loud thud a few meters away. Many people were running away from the scene, dieing not on their agenda for that day.

" Stay still you bozo!" Ichigo yelled at it, trying to give Kish time to recover. " Strawberry Check!" She yelled again, aiming a bit above the Chimera to hit it as it jumped. Instead, it ducked and the attack was absorbed in its shell.

" How do we defeat it?" Ichigo yelled in frustration. Kish appeared behind her, wiping the blood off his face. He grabbed Ichigo by the shoulders and teleported her away from the Chimera's paw as it swiped down at the sugar pink cat-girl.

" How quickly can you attack?" Kish asked urgently, his eye on the Chimera as it tried to locate its prey.

" Quite quickly." Ichigo nodded her head, readying her bell. " I think I know what you're up to."

" Good. Ready?" Ichigo nodded and fired another attack. As soon as it left her bell, Kish teleported Ichigo to another angle where she repeated her attack.

" Check!" Teleport.

" Check!" Teleport.

They did this three more times before hitting the Chimera square in the face. It screamed in agony and tried to whack Kish and Ichigo away, but Kish teleported them away in time.

" As much as that worked Koneko-Chan," Kish started, " I don't think we can keep it up." Ichigo groaned.

" Yah… but what _can_ we do? At least _your_ Chimera Anima monsters were easy enough to defeat!"

As if on cue, a small voice burst through the crowds.

" Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!" Ichigo's face erupted in a smile as she saw a familiar blast of pudding-type substance fly past her and encase the hybrid Chimera in it.

" Mew Pudding!" Mew Ichigo yelled, receiving a wave from her fellow Mew.

" Hey there Ichigo-Onee-Chan Na no da! Need help?" Tart appeared behind her and teleported them up to Ichigo and Kish's level, where they were currently hovering above the fair grounds.

" That pudding attack wont hold it forever." Tart pointed out, making Ichigo ready her weapon one more time.

" Ribbon…Strawberry Check SURPRISE!" Ichigo yelled, finally hitting the stone, making it snap off the creature's head. It started to glow a bright pink and then the animals that made up the creature were made visible- a white tiger, a black wolf, a tortoise and a purple Chimera jelly.

" I'll take that." A voice called, startling Kish, Ichigo, Pudding and Tart. Pai suddenly materialized before the purple Chimera jelly and caught it in a jar.

" Who did this Ichigo-Onee-Chan Na no da?" Pudding asked as the aliens put their respective Mews on the ground. Pai shook his head.

" It wasn't me. I was with Shirogane this whole time." He looked at the Chimera jelly. " I think I know who it was."

" Pai? Do you think…?" Kish started, staring at the bottled Chimera jelly carefully.

" Yes. It's a warning Kish. A stern warning to be prepared."

**Who was warning Kish? I know you may know _whom_ but _whom specifically_?**

**And the animals that made the Chimera were random so pay no mind to them…**

**I'm happy to say I'm feeling loved again, a LOT more people are reviewing now they know I'm back and this story IS going to keep moving on! Also, I think I have a few new fans... a few people have added me to favourite authoress/story lists and watched me for updates! I'm so happy right now! Thus I update!**

**The next chapter will include all the other Mews and possibly more fluff with the characters, as well as more to the storyline and the answer to who it was! So if you still love me… Review!**

**MK**

**(Kyo wa Kurisumasu no Hi. Soshite... Minna, Kurisumasu Omedetto Gozaimasu!)**


	10. Time To Get Serious

**Howdy! Happy New Year everybody, welcome to 2008! It's the 4****th**** already but oh well! Short chapter ahead, I've decided I'll keep them the 3 to 5 pages long (Size 10 Verdana) instead of short ones. Habit I suppose. But this is shorter than usual. **

**Enjoy!**

**10- Time to Get Serious **

**_Re-Cap of Chapter 9:_**

_" It wasn't me. I was with Shirogane this whole time." He looked at the Chimera jelly. " I think I know who it was." _

_" Pai? Do you think…?" Kish started, staring at the bottled Chimera jelly carefully. _

_" Yes. It's a warning Kish. A stern warning to be prepared."_

---

" Mew Ichigo!" A voice was heard suddenly, piercing the silence. Ichigo's ears flickered as she realized she knew the voice. It was Ryou, and by the sounds of his footsteps, he was coming towards them at full speed.

Deciding not to rely on her sensitive hearing, she turned around, confirming her suspicions. But Ryou wasn't alone. Behind him were three very concerned looking Mew girls.

" Mew Ichigo!" Mint yelled out, speeding ahead of Ryou, eager to see what had happened.

" Mew Mint!" Ichigo yelled, concerned at her friend's sudden disturbance.

" Ichigo-san, what happened?" Lettuce asked, knowing that Mint would probably ask in a different, coarser way. Lettuce had that sort of ability to make situations a lot less serious by asking in a sweeter voice.

" Well, we," Ichigo indicated Kish as she spoke, " were hanging around here, enjoying ourselves when all of a sudden Kish spotted the Chimera from the top of the Ferris wheel. Before that, we didn't see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary."

" I'm happy that you're safe, Ichigo," Mint sighed, knowing that she herself was overreacting earlier, worried by the fact that Kish and Ichigo were alone together when the Chimera was set off. Who knew what could have happened?

" But I don't understand how a Chimera could have been set off, without any warning. After all, Kish was with you, Purin and Tart were here and Pai was with me." Zakuro muttered.

" Onee-Sama!" Mint yelled, her mouth dropping open. " I thought Pai was with Shirogane!"

" That doesn't matter right now!" Ryou yelled, ending the conversation but fertilizing all four girls' curiosity. Pai had said himself that he was with Shirogane the whole time, but Zakuro had let slip that he was with her… what was going on?

" Blondie's right." Kish suddenly spoke up. " I'm sorry this happened everyone, but I don't think discussing it here will do us any good." He pointed to a wall where, if you looked close enough, you could see about a dozen people crouching behind it.

" Oh damn it." Tart whispered, realizing that he was being watched. It didn't help that he was less than ten centimeters away from Pudding.

" Maybe they'd like to see my show Na no da!"

" Pudding-san, I don't think that's what they're here for." Lettuce sighed, walking towards the aliens. " Pai-san, Kish-san, Tart-san, can you get us out of here?"

" Hai." Pai answered, walking towards Ryou and Zakuro, grabbing them gently by the arms. Kish took Ichigo and Lettuce while Tart had Pudding. Although he moaned in protest, he didn't quite mind having her so close to him after all. Hey, he'd been out with her, even today. But Tart was still Tart- naive and stubborn.

---

With a matter of seconds the strange group appeared in the laboratory of Ryou Shirogane. Keiichirou was sitting at the computer, beside him a tray with 10 cups of tea sitting on it, one of which he was sipping himself as he read data on the screen.

" Ah," Keiichirou turned around in his chair and saw the group. " You're here."

" Akasaka-san," Mint began, " Would you have any idea who set off the Chimera?"

" Well, Mint-san," Keiichirou stood up, placing his cup down as he did so. " I was not at the computer at the time of the attack, however…" He motioned the group to come closer.

" I was able to, theoretically, 'go back in time' and check for disturbances. And what I saw was amazing." He paused; trying to chose his words carefully. If he bluntly said what he was about to say, it may have caused trouble. Just as he had chosen his words, he was interrupted.

" Keiichirou, we have no time for your drama! What did you see?" Ryou outburst, stepping forward toward the computer. " It's important."

" Two more aliens were hovering over the theme park, where Kish and Ichigo were."

The whole group gasped, except the three aliens, who went paler than usual.

" So I was right." Pai said, turning to Zakuro. She nodded her head.

" Hai, indeed you were." She turned to Ryou. " Pai and I were discussing a theory after you left us, Shirogane. You see, apparently Ichigo hasn't told us the _whole_ story about what's going on here." She turned to Ichigo coolly.

" Zakuro-san!" Ichigo said, almost shouting. " I haven't kept anything a secret!"

" Iie, I didn't say it was a secret. You just failed to come back to us after you and Kish settled your agreements. Apparently, there was a Chimera involved and Shirogane witnessed what was going on…?" She trailed off, making Ichigo realize what she was going on about.

" Oh! H-Hai, Gomen nasai, minna, I did forget to mention that."

" It's fine baka." Ryou snapped, his cold blue eyes impatiently staring at the data on the screen. " I informed Lettuce, Pudding, Mint and Zakuro about what happened yesterday."

" But!" Ichigo protested. " If you all knew, why mention it Zakuro-san?"

" Ichigo." Ichigo stopped her rant as Zakuro's eyes narrowed. " You may not remember this, but two years ago I said to you girls we needed to take the fate of the world seriously and trust one another."

" Hai…" All four Mews nodded their heads.

" Whilst we had peace for a while, we need to regain our bonds _now_. It's time to get serious. If we do not trust one another and tell all information, it could lead to arguments and the possible end of the earth." Zakuro finished, her lips thinned.

" Wait up." Kish stood forward. " You're talking as if these other aliens are trying to take over earth again!" He stood still as silence took over the room.

" If they're not," Purin muttered, " Why did they set off the Chimera Na no da?"

---

**To make up for the shortness, I'll post 11 up straight away. **

**If I keep changing the names of Kish to Kisshu, Mint to Minto, Pudding to Purin and Lettuce to Retasu, forgive me. This fic and it's prequel are the only times I use the "Tokyopop" versions of their names.**

**And one last note- this story is soon coming to an end! About another three or four chapters and it'll be over! Well, nonetheless, I'll keep it up if everyone enjoys it and reviews! I like long reviews, but short ones are good too (sometimes)! I like reviews full stop really! Haha!**

**So, please review! Enjoy chapter 11 too since it's up! Review both chapters please, this is why I usually only update one chapter at a time…**

**MK!**

**BTW, if I change my name to Strawberry Bubblegum, it's still me; it's something I've been debating for a while now. But for now, I'm still Moonlit-Kris. **


	11. Don't Turn Your Back On Me

**The last chapter was pretty short, so this one is longer to make up for it. Yah, wrote it in twenty minutes flat, so sorry if it doesn't make too much sense. **

**Enjoy!**

**11- Don't Turn Your Back On Me**

**_Re-cap of Chapter 10:_**

_" Whilst we had peace for a while, we need to regain our bonds now. It's time to get serious. If we do not trust one another and tell all information, it could lead to arguments and the possible end of the earth." Zakuro finished, her lips thinned. _

_" Wait up." Kish stood forward. " You're talking as if these other aliens are trying to take over earth again!" He stood still as silence took over the room. _

_" If they're not," Purin muttered, " Why did they set off the Chimera Na no da?"_

_--- _

" Our leader." Tart bowed his head. " He set them off. We should have known that he'd warn us like this."

" So this could have been avoided? I _knew_ I shouldn't have trusted you all!" Ryou yelled, stepping towards Tart, who was cowering slightly.

" Oi!" Kish yelled back, stepping towards Ryou, blocking him off from Tart. " Don't get Tart into this! He had nothing to do with this at all! Nor did Pai!"

" Then it's _your_ fault Kish!" Ryou bellowed.

" No one got hurt Shirogane, why the drama? It was a warning! You only have to warn someone once! I have a week left and it was just a reminder!"

" People may have gotten hurt!"

" But no one did!"

" They still could have! If they did it would have been your fault and you'd have to pay for it!"

" I didn't hurt them though! Why is it my fault? Why am I being blamed for backing off years ago to save this stupid planet and all of you, resulting in me being executed from my home and being turned on by my family? Why is it that you're acting like _your_ involved Shirogane! You aren't! No one here is!" Kish screamed, getting fired up. The Mews, Keiichirou and the aliens stood back, forming a circle of sorts around the arguing duo.

" Get out." Ryou whispered, pointing to the door. " I don't want low lying scum in my lab. I don't want someone who is threatening this planet and doesn't give a damn in my home!"

" Ryou!" Ichigo yelled, but Kish had already reacted.

" Fine by me!" He muttered, teleporting away.

" Ryou, that was a bit harsh." Keiichirou walked toward Ryou, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, only to be shunned off.

" I'm going out." Ryou said, rubbing his head. " I need a drink."

" I'll take you then." Keiichirou smiled. " We don't need a car accident in the middle of this."

" Everyone, let's leave." Mint muttered, motioning towards the other exit. Everyone followed the bird mew, leaving Keiichirou and Ryou alone to go out.

" He has nerve!" Ichigo muttered, clenching her jaw and her fists when they were out of earshot of Ryou and Keiichirou.

" Ichigo-san, please calm down. Ryou-san possibly is stressed because he wanted the Mew Project to be over and now it has begun again." Lettuce offered, petting Ichigo on the back.

" I agree with Lettuce. For now, let's just go home, take a long bath and have something to eat and sleep this off. If Shirogane isn't out of it tomorrow, we'll do something. But this will blow over. So, let's go." Zakuro suggested, walking towards the road.

" Hai, Onee-sama, wait for me!" Mint yelled, waving goodbye to everyone as she joined Zakuro down the road that led to the mansions of Tokyo.

" I'll take Pudding-san home then Ichigo, since we live that way. Ja ne, for now." Lettuce bowed and waved as she walked away, Pudding in tow.

" Bye Ichigo-Onee-san! See you tomorrow Tar-Tar!" Ichigo giggled slightly as Tart blushed, waving goodbye to Pudding.

" Ichigo." Tart muttered suddenly. " Where do you think Kish went?" Ichigo's face went pale once more and she remembered that Kish wasn't with them.

" I… I don't know. Ryou would know, he has a tracking system on all unearthly creatures, such as us Mews and you guys. But I don't want to return back in _there_." She motioned towards the Café, where in the window you could see Keiichirou and Ryou grabbing some things together, such as jackets and keys.

" Then we'll split up. I will go look at our ship, Tart can fly over the city to his favourite places and you… go home. He may already be there. In one hour we'll meet you at your residence and if he's not there, we'll start the search over. Tart, if you find him, either tell Ichigo or bring him to her."

" Why me?" Ichigo asked, not understanding why Pai didn't want Kish to be with them, to train and whatnot.

" Because you can calm him down. Do you not remember the last time he was annoyed?" Pai pointed to his nose, bringing back some memories. He smiled a slight, rare smile as Ichigo's face lit up in realization.

" Yah, he broke Pai's nose when Kish thought you were dead, old hag!" Tart laughed.

" I'm gonna let that one slide. I'll see you in an hour at the most." Ichigo smiled at Tart, who was gawking at her. " What? I'm not in the mood." She bowed and walked towards her house, hoping that Kish was already there.

---

Ichigo sighed. Her parents were giving her a long lecture about not having her cell when she wasn't home and how worried they were that she was hurt.

" Mum, dad, I'm fine. I went to the Fair today and nothing happened, I just got caught up with something at work afterwards." Ichigo slumped back further in her chair, wishing her parents would let her go up to her room already.

" Ichigo! We heard about what happened at the Fair! It is dangerous out there for you! You don't know what could happen! A monster was at the fair! Tell me you saw it!" Shintaro screeched, pulling the hairs out of his head in frustration.

" I saw it all right…" Ichigo muttered.

" And what? You thought that it'd be _ok_? That the _Mews_ would save you? They're only little girls like you Ichigo! One day they wont be here to protect us! And what then? You'll be hurt, and possibly dead with no way of telling us where you are! And why were you even at the Fair? Were you with a _boy_?"

" Dad!" Ichigo stood up, not knowing how she was going to tell her father to chill without giving her secret away. " I'm fine! Sure, something bad happened today and it was a coincidence that I was there! It could have happened to anyone! Chances are it wont happen again! The Mews may be 'little girls', but they're strong and they'll hold through! They'll keep us safe!"

" Ichigo, Shintaro, please, both sit." Sakura said, her calm voice sounding out of place in the father-daughter yelling contest.

" Shintaro, Ichigo's right. She's fifteen and can take care of herself. Since there are people out there such as the Mews, we are much safer than in other places. What happened is an once-in-a-lifetime thing; it's probable that it'll never happen again. But Ichigo, your father is right, you should keep your cell on you at all times, who knows what could happen?"

" Ok, ok. Can I go to my room now? I'm tired and I need to go to sleep." Ichigo whined, telling the truth. She felt exhausted from her fight with the Chimera- it seemed that her body always caught up with her slower than normal.

" Ok dear. Goodnight, see you in the morning."

---

" Kish?" Ichigo whispered, turning on the light of her bedroom. She could see no body on her bed, or in the room. She sighed, putting down her bag. She was hoping that Kish would be there. Glancing at the clock, she sighed again. It had been thirty-four minutes since she; Pai and Tart had started searching for him.

" Kish… if you're there, if you can here me, please, come here…" Ichigo murmured, looking out the window. She opened her door and sat on the small balcony, her legs dangling down the sides and her chin resting upon her hands.

" Koneko-Chan?" Ichigo's head shot up, looking for that voice.

" Kish!"

" Why are you looking for me?" Kish asked, jumping down from his hiding place- the roof.

" I was worried about you, you baka!" Ichigo giggled, trying to hold back tears of relief. She was so moody lately and anything could set her off. A downfall of being a teenager I suppose. She and Kish hugged and he murmured in her hair.

" Aw, thankyou Koneko-Chan. But I would have thought everyone would have joined sides with Shirogane, he has some valid points."

" No! No way. Kish, don't listen to that big baka. He's just worried about all of us Mews. He's like our protector."

" I thought I was your protector Koneko-Chan." Kish said, letting go of Ichigo. He sighed and turned around, looking at the stars, his back to Ichigo.

" Don't turn your back on me Kish, I need you. You need me. I don't want you to feel alone now! You have so much to deal with and I just want to help. Everyone does. So please, don't do this."

" Ichigo…" Kish turned around and hugged her again. " I can't do this alone." Ichigo wasn't sure, but she could almost tell he was possibly crying. Ichigo felt a stab of guilt in her gut once more- it was _her_ fault, ultimately. She had made Kish a traitor and if it weren't for her he wouldn't be in the pickle he was now.

" You don't have to." Ichigo felt tears come to her eyes and buried her head under Kish's chin, blushing slightly as she felt the cold chain of silver around his neck push against her forehead and face. He squeezed her tighter and Ichigo sobbed.

" Shh… don't cry Koneko-Chan, it doesn't suit you. Let's get some sleep ne? Tomorrow, we'll figure it all out." Ichigo nodded, feeling herself be teleported by Kish into her room.

---

Ten minutes later, two shadows loomed outside Ichigo's window.

" Yuck. It's all mushy and gushy!" Tart whined, pointing at Kish and Ichigo, who were sitting on Ichigo's bed, kissing and hugging. Pai just closed his eyes.

" Well, we were right, he's calm now. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Pai and Tart left the balcony, and yet, there was still a strange figure looming out side Ichigo's window, one that none of the aliens noticed.

---

**Ryou and Kish fought! _Growl_! Shintaro and Sakura got all parental on Ichigo! _Ooh_! Things got mushy! _Aw_! A shadow looms over Ichigo and Kish! _Gasp_!**

**Sorry, but that's the chapter in a nutshell. Haha, nutshell. Most of you probably have seen the _Tokyo Mew Mew: In A Nutshell_ fan-dub (by 'Hika Yagami') on Youtube, if not, it's hilarious so check it out! **

**Anyway, I always wondered why Shintaro and Sakura didn't notice Ichigo was always missing and the like when she was fighting. If she was three hours late on a date with Aoyama, and the date would only go for an hour (for example), doesn't that mean they'd be worried? None-the-less, trying to make things seem realistic is a bit hard!**

**So please review if you want more! I'm going away on the 9th, so if I get enough reviews (good quality ones), I'll put up one more chapter before I leave to NZ! I'll be away from the 9th till the 23rd, so you wont get an update until late January that way. Sorry guys!**

**(My dad IS brining his laptop and we will POSSIBLY have Internet service over there… perhaps I will be able to write if I'm sneaky!)**

**In any case, I won't update for a while during that time period, possibly only once or just replies to some reviews!**

**Once again, review! Thanks a lot!**

**MK**


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